Google has decided to ditch its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recruitment goals, becoming the latest major corporation to abandon woke hiring policies. The tech giant is also reevaluating other DEI initiatives.
Between 2021 and 2024, Google publicly committed to integrating DEI into all aspects of its operations. However, this commitment was notably absent from its most recent investor report.
Following the 2020 riots after George Floyd’s death, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, set a goal for a 30 percent increase in leadership roles for individuals from so-called diverse backgrounds—that is, people who are not white, not straight, not men, or not able-bodied—over five years.
Google’s shift away from DEI aligns with several other major companies including Meta, Amazon, and Walmart, which have either reduced or eliminated their DEI policies.
In contrast, Apple is resisting this trend, advising investors to oppose a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research to abolish its diversity initiatives. Apple’s board argues such policies carry potential risks.
Companies’ moves to abandon DEI come after President Donald J. Trump scrapped DEI policies in the U.S. federal government, dismantling entire departments dedicated to DEI practices. Some agencies, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), eliminated DEI policies even before President Trump’s inauguration.
