So, last week, Google spilled the beans about letting go of about 1,000 folks. The actual count is a bit murky because, surprise surprise, Google isn’t spilling all the deets. They’ve basically shared the layoff news within specific departments, making it tricky to figure out how many employees got the boot. And to add to the mystery, Google is only admitting to a couple of hundred jobs getting axed across various divisions.
After axing 12,000 workers back in January, now this! And guess what? Sundar Pichai, Google’s big boss, mentioned just last month that this massive layoff is totally unprecedented in the company’s 25-year history.
Employees aren’t holding back on their feelings, and it’s not surprising. One worker on Google’s internal meme board sarcastically thanked the corporate overlords for their saying, “Thank you, our corporate overlords, for our new annual tradition.” Let’s face it, nobody’s a fan of layoffs. Obviously, it sucks for those who end up without a job or a paycheck.
But it’s not just the ones who got the boot; even those who managed to keep their jobs are now stuck with the nagging worry that they might be next. I’ve mentioned before that uncertainty is like poison in any workplace.
According to The Verge, another employee spilled the beans in a memo to colleagues, saying, “Google culture changed dramatically last year with its first major round of layoffs.” This is a big deal because Google has been under fire from its own employees for a while, and their attempts to deal with the criticism haven’t been all that impressive.
In reaction, Pichai has remained tight-lipped. While he discussed layoffs from the previous year, he has been notably quiet about the current ones with the employees. This poses a significant concern for any company.
In truth, this entire situation highlights a vital lesson for leaders regarding company culture. It emphasizes the disparity between how leaders perceive culture and the actual experiences of employees.
Google’s employees deserve to receive direct communication from their CEO. They should be informed about the complete details of the layoffs and how it could impact their respective roles. One of the crucial responsibilities of a CEO is to offer clarity and foster trust among their employees.