Google has cut 10% of its managerial positions, including directors and vice presidents, as part of a broader restructuring effort. CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed the move during an all-hands meeting, emphasizing the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations in response to growing competition from AI-focused rivals like OpenAI.
This latest round of layoffs follows a two-year restructuring process. While some affected managers have been reassigned to individual contributor roles, many positions have been eliminated entirely. The cuts are part of Pichai’s goal, set in 2022, to make Google 20% more efficient. Last year, the company laid off over 12,000 employees in a significant downsizing.
Pichai also introduced an updated vision for “Googleyness,” a term previously used to describe the ideal Google employee. The new definition focuses more sharply on mission-driven work, innovation, and collaboration, which Pichai described as central to the company’s evolving culture.
The layoffs reflect a wider trend in the tech industry, where many companies are reducing middle management and cutting jobs to adapt to economic pressures and the rapid rise of AI. In the first half of 2024, more than 98,000 tech workers were laid off, according to Layoffs.fyi.
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