Google ends diversity hiring, says will no longer have 'aspirational goals'

By Julia Love

 

Alphabet Inc.’s Google told employees that it will no longer formally seek to improve the diversity of its workforce, marking the latest step in Silicon Valley’s retreat from initiatives that have fallen out of favor during US President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Google said it was reviewing its programs and would no longer have “aspirational goals” tied to representation, it said in a note to employees on Wednesday which Bloomberg viewed. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported the move.

 

“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 in a statement. “As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic.”

 

Google’s move comes after Trump made it clear that he wants to root out diversity, equity and inclusion from corporations and the federal workforce. He has asked government agencies to identify companies and other organizations that should be investigated for “illegal DEI” practices. Companies have also been reviewing their programs to guard against legal challenges, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action in college admissions. 

 

Amazon.com Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., and Walmart Inc. are among businesses that retreated from DEI in recent months following the pressure. Alphabet is one of the companies facing an anti-DEI shareholder proposal from the state of Oklahoma, which is trying to use its influence as an investor to end DEI in corporate America.

 

The shift has been particularly notable in Silicon Valley, where companies were once viewed as a bastion of liberal ideals. Earlier this week, Google removed a passage from its artificial intelligence principles that pledged to avoid using AI in potentially harmful applications, such as weapons, Bloomberg reported.