Google rolling back DEI hiring targets
(KRON) — Google is killing its diversity hiring targets, KRON4.com has confirmed. As first reported in the Wall Street Journal, the Bay Area tech titan is eliminating its goal to hire more employees from historically underrepresented groups.
Google, according to the WSJ, is also 'reviewing some diversity, equity and inclusion programs.'
'In an email to employees Wednesday,' the WSJ said, 'Google said it would no longer set hiring targets to improve representation in its workforce.'
Workday layoffs: Company to cut 1,750 jobs
A Google spokesperson confirmed to KRON4 that the search giant had told employees it was reevaluating certain programs and initiatives and that it was doing away with aspirational hiring goals based on representation.
'We're committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we've been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there,' a Google spokesperson said. 'We've updated our 10-k language to reflect this, and as a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic.'
Initially, Google set a hiring goal to raise its proportion of leadership by underrepresented groups back in the summer of 2020, during the height of the George Floyd protests, targeting a 30% increase by 2025.
Black and Latino workers have traditionally been underrepresented in the tech industry. Google is one of several big names in the tech industry that have announced rollbacks on DEI efforts recently. Both Amazon and Facebook parent company Meta have announced similar rollbacks recently.
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