Just when you thought the layoffs were over (remember the 12,000 layoffs from January 2023), Google is offering a buyout program across search and ad units, including knowledge and information and central engineering units as well as marketing, research and communications teams, CNBC and The Information have reported.
The wild thing is Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, just said last week in the Bloomberg interview that they are growing the engineering team. He said at the 9:40 mark into the interview, he expects Google "will grow from our current engineering base even into next year." But I guess with AI possibly eating up Google's Search business, which Google denies two different times or more, maybe that is what this is about? Whereas the Wall Street Journal reports this is about "steps it’s made to help fund billions in AI spending."
The report said the move comes as Google's search business faces "unprecedented threats" from ChatGPT and following its loss in a U.S. antitrust case.
“I want to be very clear: If you’re excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don’t take this! We have ambitious plans and tons to get done,” Fox wrote, according to the memo which was reviewed by CNBC. “On the other hand, this VEP offers a supportive exit path for those of you who don’t feel aligned with our strategy, don’t feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role.”
“Earlier this year, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance for U.S.-based Googlers, and several more are now offering the program to support our important work ahead,” Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC.
Plus, some teams are also mandating office returns for remote workers who live within 50 miles of an office, Google confirmed with CNBC. They will be expected to assume a hybrid work schedule “in order to bring folks more together in-person.”
It is unclear how many employees Google is looking to downsize to. The last earnings report had Google at 185,719 employees, up by about 5,000 employees from the year before.
Forum discussion at X.
