Alphabet puts an end to its diversity objectives

Google’s parent company, alphabet, has just ended its diversity objectives in recruitment, and thus joins Disney, McDonald’s, Ford or Meta. Like these companies whose list continues to grow, it aligns with the decree of the 47th American president, which made illegal the programs of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in federal institutions.

Until now, Alphabet has displayed its desire to constitute a workforce representative of its users. This ambition was also included in its annual report to investors, in which the company underlined its commitment to diversity. But in the 2024 edition, published this Wednesday, this mention disappeared.

The company remains attached to “equal opportunities”

Asked about this modification, Google confirmed the abandonment of specific objectives in terms of diversity. However, a spokesperson assured that the company remained attached to a working environment guaranteeing equal opportunities. “We have updated the formulation in our annual report to reflect this will, and as a federal subcontractor, our teams assess the changes required following the recent court decisions and decrees on this subject,” he said.

Despite this reversal, the internal alphabet figures show a progression of diversity within its workforce. According to its 2024 report, 34 % of employees are women and 5.7 % are black, compared to 32 % and 3.7 % in 2020.

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Diversity in business: a highly political subject

The “dei” initiatives, widely adopted in recent decades by American companies, have their origin in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. They aim to promote equal opportunities taking into account, during recruitment and promotions, of Criteria such as ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or military experience.

However, these policies are increasingly disputed in the United States, especially in conservative circles. For several years, the American right has criticized these initiatives which it perceives as a form of reverse discrimination or even interference in business management. Donald Trump himself recently attributed-without evidence-the crash of an airplane in Washington DC last January to diversity programs.

Divergent choices according to companies

In mid-January, Mark Zuckerberg, patron of Meta, had expressed his skepticism in the face of certain societal developments. During an interview in a podcast, he said that “society has become, in a way, castrated or emasculated”. A discourse that illustrates a change of tone within Silicon Valley, long perceived as a bastion of progressivism and innovation.

But not all companies take the same direction. Apple, for example, recently rejected a shareholder proposal aimed at putting an end to its Dei initiatives.