Google Employees Question Layoff Criteria


Google is adding to the list of technology companies that are laying off employees in early 2023. Last weekend, the technology giant laid off about 6 percent of its employees, or the equivalent of 12,000 people. Google's mass layoffs appear to be random. 

This is because employees who are considered to have an important and senior role, including those who have just received promotions, are also affected by layoffs. This then made employees question what criteria were determined by Google in implementing the layoff policy. 

The question was posted by a Google employee via an internal platform called Dory. 

 "How are layoffs decided? Several employees with very good performance were removed from our team," is one of Dory's most popular questions. 

"What parameters are used to determine who gets fired? Is the (layoff) decision based on their performance, scope of work, or both, or something else?," asked another employee.

Meanwhile, there are also those who think that Google's somewhat random mass layoff decision will have a negative impact on employees because those who are professional, exemplary, even get a promotion are still affected by layoffs. 

Responding to this question, Google's Senior Vice President, Prabhakar Raghavan asked employees to ask these questions at a large meeting that will be held next week. 

"There will be conflict when the company decides to layoffs," Raghavan said in an e-mail to employees, quoted CNBC, Monday (23/1/2023). 

Google itself actually has a document outlining layoffs. However, his explanation is considered not to answer what are the criteria for employees who were fired. Employees affected by layoffs themselves have had their access cut off from the company's system. 

For this reason, employees create separate forums including the Discord platform as a forum for communication.
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