Google And Meta Cut Back On DEI Initiatives, Despite Post-2020 Pledges

After making pledges following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, companies such as Google have cut back on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and hiring.

Following Floyd’s murder in 2020, companies set pledges to prioritize DEI.

Between June and August 2020, there was a 55% increase in corporate DEI roles, and leading corporations pledged $12.3 billion to fight racism.

Google, in particular, aimed to improve the representation of underrepresented groups in leadership by 30% by 2025 and address representation issues in hiring, retention, and promotions.

Over the last year, however, the tech industry, in particular, has seen threats to its DEI initiatives with lawsuits, DEI layoffs, and economic pressures.

A Decline In DEI Teams and Programs

According to CNBC, by mid-2023, DEI-related job postings had declined by over two-fifths (44%) from the same time a year prior.

In November 2023, the last month for which data was available, it dropped over a fifth (23%) year over year, contrasting with the period from 2020 to 2021, when the postings expanded by nearly 30%.

In line with this trend, Google and Meta have cut staffers and downsized programs that fell under DEI investment.

It was also found that Google decided not to hire a 2023 cohort of Early Career Immersion (ECI) software engineers, which was initially aimed at helping underrepresented talent develop skills.

According to several sources and documentation obtained by CNBC, Google and Meta also cut personnel recruiting underrepresented people.

Additionally, nearly every Meta’s Source Development Program member was let go from the company during its layoff.

This program was intended to help workers from diverse backgrounds obtain careers in corporate technology recruiting.

The Wider Effect

The year’s cuts have also impacted smaller, third-party organizations that count on big tech clients for work.

“Whenever there is an economic downturn in tech, some of the first budgets that are cut are in DEI, but I don’t think we’ve seen such stark contrast as this year,” Melinda Briana Epler, founder and CEO of Empovia, told CNBC.

Devika Brij, CEO of Brij the Gap Consulting, which works with tech companies’ DEI efforts, also told the publication that some of her clients had cut their DEI budgets by as much as 90% by midyear.

However, Meta wrote to CNBC that their commitment to DEI remains central to who they are as a company.

“We continue to intentionally design equitable and fair practices to drive progress across our people, product, policy, and partnerships pillars,” they stated.

Although Google did not dispute any specifics in the findings, they pointed to new investments and partnerships this year, including committing more than $5 million to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

They also brought attention to the launch of Google for Startups Women Founders Fund to help women entrepreneurs.