Sundar Pichai: Google Cuts 12k Jobs

In a recent all-hands meeting, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai provided insights into the company's substantial layoffs in 2022. Pichai acknowledged the profound impact of the decision, defending it as a necessary step to navigate economic shifts and strategically position the company for future growth. The layoffs, amounting to 6% of Alphabet's workforce (12,000 jobs), were characterized as a response to a changing landscape and essential for Google's adaptability and investment in critical areas.

Addressing concerns about the decision-making process, Pichai admitted that the company could have handled the layoffs more effectively. In response to an employee's question regarding the impact on growth, profit and loss, and morale, Pichai acknowledged a significant impact on morale, as evident in employee feedback platforms like Googlegeist.

Pichai expressed the challenging nature of the layoffs, emphasizing that Google had not faced a similar situation in its 25-year history. Despite the toll on morale, Pichai stressed the inevitability of the decision, highlighting that delaying the layoffs would have been detrimental to the company's future. The CEO explained that the decision was necessary to avoid creating obstacles in a year marked by significant global shifts.

Additionally, Pichai addressed the difficulty in immediately cutting off access to work accounts for laid-off employees. This decision, while challenging, was framed as a pragmatic measure to navigate the complex situation.

In summary, the all-hands meeting reflected Pichai's efforts to provide transparency about the layoffs, balancing the acknowledgment of their impact on morale with the rationale behind the decision to secure Google's long-term viability in a rapidly evolving business landscape.