Google has reportedly announced a new round of voluntary exit packages – this time for employees within its global business organisation (GBO). The latest plan signals a push for staff to fully commit to its AI-driven future. Google’s chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, told staff in an internal memo that while the company finished 2025 in a strong position, the rapid pace of the current tech landscape requires a workforce that is entirely aligned with the company’s AI mission.“We’re starting the year in a strong position thanks to everything you accomplished in 2025. But the game is dynamic, the pace is electric, and the stakes are high,” Schindler wrote in the memo, according to Business Insider.
Google chief business officer give ‘All in’ ultimatum
The offer targets employees who may feel ‘out of sync’ with Google’s rapid transformation into an “AI-first” business entity. Schindler’s memo directly said that every member of the business unit needs to be “all in” on “embracing AI to have even greater impact”.For those who find themselves “not enjoying the pace we need to operate in” or who are simply “ready to move on,” the company is providing a severance-backed exit path.
Which Google teams are impacted
Notably, the employees working on solutions teams, sales, corporate development and others. Furthermore, Schindler said America’s large customer sales teams and other customer-facing roles are not be eligible for the programs.“While all GBO functions are essential to our long-term strategy, we’ve decided not to offer VEP for these particular roles to limit as much disruption to our customers as possible,” he wrote.
This is Google’s third Voluntary Exit plan in a year
This is not the first time Google has used buyouts to reshape its workforce without resort to immediate, involuntary layoffs. Over the past year, the tech giant has implemented similar programmes. In June 2025, buyouts were offered to US staff during a strict “return-to-office” crackdown. In October 2025, exit packages offered to YouTube employees amid a broader reorganisation.In August last year, Google’s Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi explained the company’s Voluntary Exit Programme (VEP) as “actually quite successful,” as the company is still streamlining its workforce and reducing material layers across divisions.According a report CNBC, speaking at the recent town hall meeting, Cicconi revealed that abbot 5% of the employees in important departments including marketing, search, people operations and hardware have opted into VEP this year. “It’s actually quite interesting to see who’s taking a VEP. It’s people sort of wanting a career break, sometimes to take care of family members,” Cicconi was quoted as saying.
