Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently had no reassuring words for employees on possible layoffs during a wide-ranging meeting. When asked about possible layoffs, Pichai categorically said that he is not in a position to make forward-looking commitments regarding the matter as it is difficult to predict the future. Pichai also noted that Google is making changes for the better to “weather storms” of the economy, but did not rule out the possibility of future cuts.
According to a Business Insider report, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, “What we’re trying to do, and you’ve seen the messaging over the last many, many months, is we’re trying to make important decisions, discipline Stay.” Prioritize where we can, rationalize where we can so that we’re better prepared to weather the storm, whatever lies ahead… I think that’s what we should focus on and try to should and should do their best,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.
Last month, it was reported that Google is planning to lay off 10,000 employees through a new ranking and performance improvement plan. According to a report in The Information, this is due to pressure from activist hedge funds, adverse market conditions, and the need to cut costs. However, it is still uncertain whether Google has started the process of laying off employees or is still trying to weather the storm without downsizing.
Earlier reports suggested that Google’s parent company Alphabet had asked its managers to select the 6 percent of employees who have the least impact on the company’s business. This could be seen as a pre-layoff activity that could raise serious concerns among Google employees.
The tech sector in the US is witnessing a wave of layoffs involving some of the world’s biggest brands including Amazon, Meta, Twitter, Salesforce, and more. The rise in valuations over the past decade has resulted in a huge workforce in the tech sector.