Alphabet’s Google has announced that it is scrapping its goal to hire more employees from underrepresented groups and is reviewing some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The decision aligns the company with a growing number of U.S. businesses rethinking or scaling back similar diversity programs.
In an email to staff, Fiona Cicconi, Alphabet’s chief people officer, explained that the company will no longer pursue “aspirational” hiring goals. Google had set such targets in 2020 to address racial and gender disparities within its workforce, particularly in leadership roles. Cicconi noted that the company focused on growing offices outside of California and New York to improve representation, but will now move away from those set goals in the future.
“In 2020, we set aspirational hiring goals and focused on growing our offices outside California and New York to improve representation,” Cicconi wrote. “But in the future, we will no longer have aspirational goals.”
Since 2020, Google had been vocal in its commitment to more inclusive policies, especially following the global protests sparked by the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans. CEO Sundar Pichai had set a goal for 2025 to have 30% more of its leaders from underrepresented groups. At that time, about 96% of Google’s U.S. leadership was white or Asian, and 73% were men. By 2021, Google began evaluating executive performance based on team diversity and inclusion.
In 2024, Google’s chief diversity officer, Melonie Parker, told BBC that the company had met 60% of its five-year diversity goals. However, an Alphabet spokesperson confirmed that the latest annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) removed the statement previously included in reports, which pledged the company’s commitment to DEI across all aspects of its operations.
The move has drawn criticism from some workers, including Parul Koul, president of the Alphabet Workers Union (AWU). Koul described the decision as “an attack on gains workers have made in the tech industry” and linked it to a broader “right-wing, anti-worker trend” developing within tech companies.
Google, which provides cloud computing and other services to the U.S. government, also stated that it is reviewing recent policy changes by President Donald Trump that aim to reduce DEI initiatives in federal contracting. The company is working to ensure compliance with new executive orders and court rulings related to DEI.
Despite these changes, Google has committed to maintaining internal employee groups, such as “Trans at Google,” the “Black Googler Network,” and the “Disability Alliance,” which will continue to inform the company’s product and policy decisions.
The shift follows similar moves by other tech giants. In January, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, announced the end of its DEI programs, including those for hiring and supplier selection. Amazon also revealed it was scaling back certain diversity and inclusion initiatives.
These moves are occurring amid growing opposition from conservative groups, which have been empowered by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that invalidated affirmative action in university admissions. These groups have criticized DEI programs, calling them discriminatory, and are increasingly threatening litigation against companies that continue to implement such initiatives.
