Google Shares Plans To Boost Productivity Amid Uncertainty; Does Not Rule Out Layoffs

Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google launched a new effort called "Simplicity Sprint" to drive efficiency and improve employee focus amid macro uncertainties, CNBC reports.
CEO Sundar Pichai sought inputs from employees during its regular all-hands last Wednesday. He aimed to crowdsource ideas for quicker product development through August 15 through an internal survey.
Pichai acknowledged that Google's productivity was nowhere close despite its headcount reflecting a challenging macro environment with more uncertainty ahead.
Also Read: Google Boosts Pay, Revamps Employee Promotions To Ease Tensions: CNBC
Pichai asked employees to help "create a culture that is more mission-focused, focused on our products, and customer-focused.
Google's chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, acknowledged that Alphabet was still hiring and did not have plans for layoffs. However, she did not rule out the possibility of layoffs.
The meeting followed Alphabet's second consecutive quarter of weaker-than-expected earnings and revenue when the company benefited from the post-pandemic recovery and consumer spending growth.
Pichai recently shared plans of hiring and investment slowdown through 2023, asking employees to work "with greater urgency" and "more hunger" than shown "on sunnier days."
In May, Alphabet declared overhauling its performance evaluation process.
Netflix, Inc NFLX, Twitter, Inc TWTR and Tesla, Inc TSLA have downsized employee strength, while other firms, including Microsoft Corp MSFT and Google, opted for hiring relaxations to beat the current economic slowdown.
Price Action: GOOG shares traded lower by 0.68% at $115.85 in the premarket on the last check Monday.