Google ends diversity-based hirings in line with Donald Trump’s order: ‘Will no longer have aspirational goals’ | Company Business News

Years after advocating for more inclusive policies at workplace, Alphabet-owned Google, is scrapping its goal to hire more employees from underrepresented groups, reported Reuters.

The tech giant has also said that it will review diversity based hiring programs in alignment with US President Donald Trump’s stance on on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

“In 2020, we set aspirational hiring goals and focused on growing our offices outside California and New York to improve representation,” Reuters quoted Fiona Cicconi, Alphabet’s chief people officer’s email to staff on Wednesday. “…but in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals,” Cicconi added in the mail.

Google has been reviewing its diversity programs over the past few years and as a federal contractor, the company is considering to bring changes in alignment with recent executive orders, said the company in its statement.

“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,” Google said in its statement, according to The Guardian.

Donald Trump’s order on diversity, equity, and inclusion

Hours after taking over as the President of the United States, Donald Turmp signed an order to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government. He also directed a review of federal grants to make sure that they are not used to suppor similar DEI initiatives.

Google had for years been among the most vocal companies pushing for more inclusive policies in the wake of protests against the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020.

Google CEO set goal to have 30% more leaders from underrepresented groups

In 2020, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, had announced that the company has set a goal to hire 30% more leaders from underrepresented groups by 2025.

In 2021, it began to evaluate executive performance on team diversity and inclusion after a prominent leader of artificial intelligence research said the company abruptly fired her after she criticized its diversity efforts