In response to recent layoffs at Alphabet Inc.’s Google GOOGL, discontent is simmering in the ranks of employees, who have pejoratively described the company’s leadership as devoid of vision and innovation.
The downsizing, affecting hundreds in Google’s ad sales team and about a thousand from its Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest divisions, has sparked a deluge of censure from current and former employees, unveiled by the New York Post.
Among the dissatisfied voices is Diane Hirsh Theriault, a Google software engineer, who utilized LinkedIn as a platform to air her grievances. Theriault’s blunt criticism underscored the dearth of vision and ingenuity within the Google management cadre.
“From the C-suite to the SVPs to the VPs, they are all profoundly boring and glassy-eyed,” deplored Theriault on her LinkedIn page.
Similar sentiments were echoed by other employees, particularly disheartened by CEO Sundar Pichai‘s handling of the layoffs.
In the aftermath of the downsizing, Pichai hinted at the potential for more job cuts in the future, albeit assuring they would not be as extensive as the previous year’s.
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In an internal memo, he expounded on the company’s audacious objectives and the exigency of making tough decisions.
Kenneth Smith, a former engineering manager at Google, proffered his insights on LinkedIn, accentuating the significance of personal interaction in such circumstances.
“Call me old school, but I think that if you find yourself in a situation where you need to let someone go, you owe it to them to meet them face-to-face, look them in the eyes, and acknowledge their humanity,” opined Smith.
Smith also pondered his own indignation and exasperation with Google’s leadership, especially in light of their management of the layoffs of 12,000 colleagues in the previous year.
Reported by the Post, software engineer and tech commentator, Gergely Orosz, joined the chorus of criticism, denouncing Google as a “faceless corporation” on the social media platform X.
Responding to the layoffs, a Google spokesperson emphasized the company’s dedication to prudently investing in its priorities and aiding affected employees in securing new roles.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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