The decision to resign from a company after 18 years of service is never an easy one, especially when it comes to a company like Google, which is renowned for its employee benefits and work culture. However, for one former Google employee, the company’s work culture had deteriorated to the point where he felt it was time to move on. In particular, the employee cited a lack of visionary leadership from CEO Sundar Pichai as a contributing factor to his decision to resign. In a blog post, the employee shared his experience at Google and how he had seen the company change over the years.
At the start of his blog, he mentioned that he joined Google in October 2005 and tendered his resignation after 18 years. In his final week at Google, he reflected on his journey and shared his observations. He proceeded to elaborate on his experience during the early days of Google, highlighting the company’s genuine commitment to serving its users and society as a whole. He witnessed firsthand the dedication of Google employees towards the mission of organizing and making information universally accessible and useful. However, as time went on, the former Google employee noticed a gradual decline in the tech giant’s work culture. Decisions that were once driven by the best interests of users now seemed to prioritize maximizing profits. The transparency that was once a defining characteristic of Google’s culture started to fade away. Additionally, he expressed concerns about the growing disconnect between the company’s leadership, led by Sundar Pichai, and the common employees.
The former Google executive elaborated in the article about the company’s recent mass layoffs. He viewed these layoffs as a pivotal moment for the company, attributing them to a myopic focus on quarterly earnings growth. According to him, these layoffs had a detrimental impact on Google’s culture, eroding trust between employees and management and instilling a sense of fear and paranoia among the workforce. It is worth mentioning that numerous ex-Google employees shared their firsthand experiences of the layoffs on social media platforms. They expressed their shock at suddenly discovering their job loss, with many immediately logging out of their systems. In addition, a considerable number of Google employees wrote a letter to Pichai, urging for a more effective handling of the layoff situation. Returning to the blog post, the former Google employee concluded by acknowledging the presence of exceptional individuals within the company. He emphasized that throughout his tenure at Google, he encountered numerous talented and passionate individuals who, given the opportunity, could truly make a difference. Ending on an optimistic note, he expressed hope that Google would eventually foster an environment where these individuals can thrive, enabling the company to once again fulfill its potential for positive impact in the world.