Google Slashes 35% of Managerial Roles in Restructuring Push

Silicon Valley: Google has cut around 35% of its managers overseeing small teams, part of a sweeping overhaul to flatten its hierarchy and improve efficiency.

The change was revealed at a recent all-hands meeting by Brian Welle, Vice President of People Analytics and Performance, who said the eliminated roles mainly involved managers with fewer than three direct reports. Instead of being laid off, many of these employees have been reassigned to individual contributor roles, allowing Google to retain talent while streamlining decision-making.

The cuts form part of CEO Sundar Pichai’s broader efficiency drive, which has already seen major layoffs across divisions since 2023, including the company’s largest-ever job cut affecting 12,000 employees. In 2025, additional reductions hit units like Google Cloud, Platforms & Devices, and the Global Business Group.

At the same time, the company has rolled out Voluntary Exit Programs (VEPs) across search, marketing, hardware, and people operations, with 3–5% of employees opting in, often for personal reasons.

Pichai has stressed the need for leaner leadership to reduce bureaucracy and speed up execution, telling staff that Google must “be more efficient as we scale up so we don’t solve everything with headcount.”

While the move is seen as a step toward agility and cost discipline, it has stirred unease among employees. Google has emphasized transparency, positioning the reshuffle as a chance for managers to continue contributing in different capacities rather than a pure downsizing exercise.