Google has reduced its hiring goals that were aimed at boosting the representation of employees from historically marginalized backgrounds.

This decision comes as the tech giant indicates it is re-evaluating certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Google has joined other significant U.S. companies in scaling back their DEI plans during the initial weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The company informed YSL News that they are reviewing the president’s executive orders, which sought to dismantle DEI initiatives within the federal government and among federal vendors.

Given Google’s contracts with the Defense Department and other federal entities, the company is currently pursuing artificial intelligence contracts with the U.S. government.

The executive orders issued last month by Trump honored his campaign promise to “terminate” DEI initiatives and overturn Joe Biden’s “woke takeover” narrative—issues strongly promoted by his allies and supporters at rallies.

Google explained in a statement that it is “assessing necessary changes following recent court rulings and executive measures related to this matter.”

In the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020 that sparked a critical dialogue about race in America, many companies amplified their vows to enhance diversity within their workforces and leadership structures.

Google was among these companies, setting a target for 2025 to boost the presence of historically underrepresented groups in leadership roles by 30%.

To signify its shifting stance to the Trump administration and shareholders, the company modified its annual report, omitting a statement about its commitment to “building a workforce that reflects the users we serve.”

“We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where all employees can thrive and have equal opportunities and are reviewing our programs which help us reach this goal,” the company stated, adding that it would continue expanding its offices in cities with diverse populations and would support employee resource groups for underrepresented workers.

Google joins Meta, Amazon in moving away from DEI

In moderating its DEI efforts, Google is following a trend set by other large tech companies.

Last month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, discontinued its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to align more closely with the Trump administration. Meta attributed this significant policy change to evolving legal conditions regarding DEI.

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet, was notably present as a tech representative when Trump was inaugurated on January 20 in the Capitol rotunda.

This shift is emblematic of changing dynamics in Silicon Valley, where Google previously established itself as a leader in DEI efforts.

After facing pressure to provide a breakdown of its workforce demographics, Google shared its data publicly for the first time in 2014, acknowledging the historical lack of diversity in Silicon Valley and committing to bridging racial and gender gaps within the company.

This industry-leading move sparked a wave of increased transparency among major U.S. corporations. Back then, Google asserted that greater workforce diversity was essential to its mission of serving billions of users globally.

Google and the tech sector’s diversity issues

Google, alongside the broader technology sector, has struggled to attract and retain women and people of color in significant numbers.

A 2021 analysis by YSL News revealed that Black and Hispanic employees were significantly less likely to hold management or professional positions at leading tech companies than their white counterparts.

At top firms like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, white employees were five times more likely to obtain top roles than their Hispanic colleagues and seven times more likely than their Black peers, according to YSL News.

While women have made some progress at Google over the years, the male workforce still dominates the company. As per the latest data submitted to the federal government, men occupy over two-thirds of executive and professional positions, as well as two-thirds of mid-level management roles.

Google has seen more success in addressing racial disparities. From 2017 to 2023, the proportion of workers who identify as non-white and non-Hispanic rose from 45% to 58%, a 13 percentage point increase.

The gains in higher-level positions have allowed Google to get closer to reflecting the demographics of the nation’s workforce. Concurrently, the percentage of white executives decreased from 74% to 63%.

However, women of color have not experienced similar improvements. Data from 2023 shows that white men outnumber white women by a factor of two to one among executives; Asian men outnumber their female counterparts by nearly three to one; and Hispanic men outnumber Hispanic women by three to one as well, with similar, albeit sometimes smaller, disparities among managers and professionals.