Google will reportedly scrap its diversity hiring targets and review some of the tech giant’s DEI initiatives — becoming the latest major company to walk back the controversial initiatives.
Alphabet’s annual filing with the SEC on Wednesday showed it omitted a line saying it was “committed to making diversity, equity and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve.”
That statement appeared in annual reports from 2021 to 2023.
The company told staffers in an email that it would no longer set diversity hiring goals, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Google also said it was reviewing recent court decisions and executive orders by President Donald Trump aimed at curbing DEI in the government and federal contractors, the outlet reported.
“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 told The Post in a statement.
Earlier this month, Facebook-parent Meta Platforms said in an internal memo it was ending its DEI programs, including those for hiring, training and picking suppliers.
Amazon also said it was “winding down outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, in a memo to its employees, seen by Reuters.
Conservative groups, fortified by a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated affirmative action in university admissions, have condemned DEI programs and have threatened litigation against companies implementing them.
Earlier this month, Elon Musk and other allies of Trump, attributed DEI programs as an impediment to the response efforts for the severe wildfires in Los Angeles.
In 2020, Google, like many other major companies, ramped up its DEI efforts in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter protests – setting a goal to expand its “leadership representation of underrepresented groups” by 30% by 2025.
Google also pledged to more than double the number of black workers in non-senior levels by the same year, address pitfalls in its hiring and promotion practices and offer mental and physical support for black employees.
Staffers from diverse backgrounds account for a small portion of Google’s workforce. As of last year, just 5.7% of its US employees were black and 7.5% were Latino, according to its 2024 diversity report.
Google said it would continue to open and expand offices in cities with diverse workforces.
“We’ll continue to invest in states across the US — and in many countries globally — but in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals,” the email said, according to the Journal.
The company said it would also continue its resource groups for underrepresented staffers.
“Google has always been committed to creating a workplace where we hire the best people wherever we operate, create an environment where everyone can thrive, and treat everyone fairly,” the email said, according to the report. “That’s exactly what you can expect to see going forward.”
Walmart, McDonald’s and Target, have also recently backtracked on their DEI programs after facing pressure from conservative activists.
Apple, meanwhile, has asked its shareholders to reject a proposal from a conservative think tank to end its DEI efforts.
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