According to a Bloomberg report, Google, in a note to staff, said the company was reviewing the programme and would no longer have aspirational goals tied to representation.
Under President Donald Trump, the administration was critical of corporate diversity initiatives, with Trump himself describing such programmes as a form of “reverse discrimination”.
After taking over for the second term, the Trump administration began dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, placing staff on paid leave and planning layoffs. An executive order reversed Biden-era DEI policies, targeting anti-bias training and corporate diversity practices.
Trump’s stance has influenced corporate practices, leading many companies to reconsider or scale back DEI goals.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Twitter, has also been outspoken against DEI programmes, suggesting that they focus too much on race and gender rather than merit.
Musk has previously called for the prioritisation of hiring based on skills and performance rather than on diversity metrics.
Alphabet’s move comes at a time when other major companies are also rethinking their diversity strategies.
Several corporations, particularly in industries such as tech and finance, have scaled back their formal diversity initiatives, citing challenges in implementing effective programmes while maintaining a focus on business performance.
