In a recent blog post, a former employee of Google, who resigned from the company after 18 years cited discontent with the evolving work culture and CEO Sundar Pichai's leadership.
In the blog post, he reflected on his journey from joining Google in 2005 to the present, highlighting the initial focus on user and societal welfare. Over time, however, the ex-Google employee says that the tech giant's work culture begin to "erode". He attributed decisions to profit maximisation over user interests and diminishing transparency that was once integral to Google's ethos.
Sundar Pichai's leadership was particularly criticised for growing detachment from the workforce.
Talking about the significant layoffs last year, the ex-employee called them an unforced error that was "driven by a short-sighted focus on quarterly earnings growth". He argued that these layoffs negatively impacted the company's culture, fostering distrust and instilling fear among rank-and-file employees. Past and current Google employees had previously shared their layoff experiences on social media platforms, expressing abrupt notifications and system logouts.
They had also written to Pichai asking him to handle the layoff situation better.
He optimistically concluded by saying that he envisioned a future where Google could once again fulfill its potential to contribute positively to the world.
