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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →In February 2025, Google said it would stop using aspirational hiring goals for underrepresented groups and review other diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The announcement did not mean the company had ended every DEI initiative: contemporary reporting said it planned to retain employee resource groups and college and university partnerships. Those reports describe the announcement period, not the programs’ status today.
What hiring goals did Google end?
Google’s goals dated to 2020, when it set out to improve representation, including by growing offices outside California and New York. Alphabet Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi said the company would no longer have aspirational hiring goals, according to Reuters’ February 2025 report. The announcement concerned aspirational targets, not a claim that Google would stop hiring or cease all work related to representation.
A separate target set by CEO Sundar Pichai was to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership by 30% by 2025. Reuters reported at the time that Google did not have updated figures for that goal when asked.
What happened to representation during the goal period?
Google’s annual diversity report figures, as reported by the Associated Press in 2025, showed changes in leadership representation between 2020 and 2024. These are company-reported figures, not an independent measurement of the effect of the hiring goals.
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| Group | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Black people in leadership | 2.6% | 5.1% |
| Hispanic people in leadership | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Women in leadership | 26.7% | 32.8% |
AP also reported that Black employees made up 5.7% and Latino employees 7.5% of Google’s U.S. workforce in the 2024 report. These workforce shares and leadership figures describe different measures and should not be treated as interchangeable.
Why did Google change its approach?
Google said it was reviewing other DEI initiatives and connected the review to its status as a federal contractor, recent court decisions, and U.S. executive orders. That is the company’s stated rationale, reported by Reuters; it is not a legal finding that a particular Google program was unlawful.
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Executive Order 14151, signed January 21, 2025, revoked Executive Order 11246 and allowed federal contractors to continue following the regulatory scheme in effect on January 20 for 90 days. It also directed agencies to include terms in contracts or grants concerning compliance with federal anti-discrimination law, including certification that recipients do not operate DEI programs that violate applicable law. The order directed a report with recommendations for private-sector enforcement. Its text addresses illegal discrimination and preferences; it does not establish that Google’s specific initiatives violated the law. Read the text of Executive Order 14151.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did Google end all of its DEI programs?
No such conclusion follows from the February announcement. Axios reported that Google planned to retain employee resource groups and work with colleges and universities, while some other programs could change. Reuters also reported that groups including Trans at Google, Black Googler Network, and Disability Alliance would remain at that time. These were statements about the announcement period, not confirmation of current program status.
Google’s 2024 Diversity Annual Report describes initiatives the company reported before the review, across workplace programs, technology design, and partnerships. It provides historical context but does not establish which programs continued after February 2025.
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What this announcement does—and does not—establish
- Established: Google announced it would stop using aspirational hiring goals for underrepresented groups and review other programs in February 2025.
- Not established: That Google ended every DEI initiative, or that a court or regulator found a specific Google program unlawful.
- Not confirmed by the cited announcement-period reporting: The status of Google’s programs in October 2026.
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