Ex-Googler: Company Slowly Ceased to Function for 4 Reasons
In a scathing letter, former Google employee Ian Hickson criticizes the tech giant’s “eroded” culture and CEO Sundar Pichai’s alleged lack of visionary leadership. Hickson, who spent 18 years at Google, laments the deterioration of transparency between executives and staff, pointing out the demise of the company’s once-ambitious experimentation and open communication. He specifically calls out Pichai for contributing to a decline in cultural norms, citing a growing contingent of ineffective middle management.
Hickson’s discontent extends to Google’s handling of layoffs, labeling them as “short-sighted” and asserting their insidious impact on the company’s culture, fostering a lack of trust and inhibiting risk-taking among employees. The letter, shared among current and former Google employees, raises concerns about the shift in decision-making from user-centric to company-centric motives.
Despite the critique, Hickson believes Google’s culture can be salvaged, emphasizing the need for a clear long-term vision and a return of power from financial offices. The letter reflects broader discontent within the company, with tensions reported between employees and managers over performance evaluations. Google and Hickson were approached for comment, but no responses were provided at the time of reporting.
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