US-based search engine Google on Thursday announced that it will no longer hire more people from under-represented groups and is reviewing its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Fiona Cicconi, chief people officer of Google parent Alphabet, said in a mail: "In 2020, we set aspirational hiring goals and focused on growing our offices outside California and New York to improve representation." Cicconi added in the mail accessed by news agency Reuters: "...but in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals."
Google also said that it was reviewing the policy changes by Trump aimed at curbing DEI in the government and among federal contractors.
The tech megalith, however, will continue to maintain internal employee groups like "Trans at Google," "Black Googler Network" and the "Disability Alliance," aimed at informing employees about decisions around products and policies.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump's order on banning DEI initiatives came into effect.
After taking office as the President, Trump signed an order banning DEI programs across the federal government. He also directed a review of federal grants to make sure they are not used to support similar programs.
After the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the company had set a goal to hire around 30 per cent more leaders from the under-represented groups by 2025.
In 2021, the company began evaluating executive performance on team diversity and inclusion after an artificial intelligence research leader said she was abruptly fired after she criticised Google's efforts.
In 2024, Google's chief diversity officer Melonie Parker told BBC that the tech giant achieved around 60 per cent of its 5-year-goal.
Google, however, is not the only tech company to put a stop on DEI hirings. In January, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms said it was ending its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Amazon also stated it was "winding down outdated programs and materials" related to representation and inclusion, in a memo to its employees.
Critics of DEI believe that such initiatives often give unqualified people an unfair advantage over deserving ones, simply because the former belong to disadvantaged groups.