Google offers voluntary exit packages to select business unit employees as it doubles down on AI, urging those not ready to embrace the shift to consider exits.
Google offers voluntary exit packages to select business unit employees as it doubles down on AI [Photo: X]
Google has once again turned to voluntary exit packages as it reshapes its workforce amid an aggressive push into artificial intelligence. Even after posting record annual revenue of over $400 billion in 2025, the tech giant is encouraging some employees to consider buyouts.
The move has sparked fresh debate over whether AI-driven restructuring, rather than financial pressure, is influencing Google’s latest workforce decisions.
Google has rolled out another round of voluntary exit packages (VEPs), marking its third such initiative in recent times. The company is offering buyouts to certain employees within its Global Business Organization (GBO) in the United States.
The move comes at a time when Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has reported record-breaking annual revenue exceeding $400 billion in 2025. Despite strong financial performance, the tech giant continues to reshape its workforce structure.
Google has launched another round of voluntary exit packages for employees in its Global Business Organization, marking a clear push for its workforce to fully embrace artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. The move comes shortly after Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported its highest-ever annual revenue in 2025, even as the tech giant signals major internal shifts toward AI-focused growth.
In an internal message viewed by news outlets, Philipp Schindler, Google’s chief business officer, told staff that while the company is in a strong position entering 2026, the “game is dynamic, the pace is electric, and the stakes are high.” Those words highlight Google’s urgency in reshaping parts of its workforce to align with an AI-driven future.
Voluntary exit packages, also known as buyouts or voluntary exit programs, are financial incentives offered by companies to encourage certain employees to leave their jobs willingly. These packages typically include severance pay and other benefits to ease the transition for departing workers.
At Google, the latest voluntary exit program targets staff who may not feel aligned with the company’s evolving pace or strategic direction. While these offers are technically voluntary, critics say they can act as a soft form of workforce realignment that encourages departures without direct layoffs.
In his memo, Schindler told employees that every team member must be “all in” on the company’s mission, particularly when it comes to embracing AI to have even greater impact.”
The voluntary exit offer gives employees who are not comfortable with such a rapid pace, or who may be considering other career directions, a chance to accept a severance package and leave on their own terms. The memo included roles in solutions teams, sales, corporate development and other business-oriented functions as eligible for these buyouts.
However, the programme excludes key customer-facing personnel, such as large customer sales teams in the U.S., to avoid disrupting services and continuity for clients. Schindler said this choice was made so that the transitions don’t interfere with ongoing customer needs.
Analysts say Google’s push for voluntary exits appears closely tied to its broader AI strategy, even though the company did not explicitly say that buyouts were solely due to AI. The memo’s emphasis on being “all in” and ready to embrace AI hints at an internal realignment rather than just a routine severance offer.
Google has repeatedly signalled that AI will shape its future products and services, and this latest move reflects that thrust. Industry observers note that other major tech companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have also pursued internal changes or incentives tied to AI priorities, indicating a wider trend in the sector.
This is not the first time Google has offered voluntary exit packages. In 2025, the company extended similar buyouts to employees across several teams, including units focused on knowledge and information, central engineering, marketing, and communications. It also offered buyouts to YouTube staff as part of organizational changes.
Last year’s exit offers were part of broader efforts to reshape personnel as the company enforced return-to-office policies and reorganized teams, moves that suggested a gradual pivot rather than sweeping layoffs. These earlier buyouts allowed some employees to leave with severance while Google continued restructuring.
Buyouts can be emotionally complex and difficult decisions for workers. They may be a welcome exit for some, but others see them as a precursor to deeper organizational change. Experts say employees should weigh their prospects carefully before accepting such offers.
“Voluntary exit programmes give employees a choice, but they can also signal a company’s push toward a specific future direction,” one analyst noted. Schindler’s focus on commitment and adapting to AI underscores Google’s strategy to build a workforce ready for the next wave of technological change.
Google ended 2025 with record financial performance, but its latest voluntary exit programme suggests that success on the balance sheet is not enough to guarantee future growth unless the organisation adapts quickly to a changing tech landscape dominated by AI.
The exit packages may help Google refine its talent base while giving employees a respectful opportunity to move on. As the tech giant continues to embed AI deeper into its work, such measures highlight how companies are balancing talent, technology, and long-term strategy in an increasingly competitive environment.
