A former Google worker is creating a controversy by claiming the giant tech company has racism. Shaun Maguire, now a venture capitalist at the firm of venture capital Sequoia Capital, was on X (formerly Twitter) last week. It was there that he said he was not given equal promotions at Google because he was a white man.
As reported by Maguire, his supervisor told him that there was something called a “quota” standing in the way of his promotion, though he was a very good worker. The supervisor allegedly said,
“You’ll get the next slot…my hands are tied.”
This allegation has triggered a fierce debate over diversity policies and discrimination in major corporations.
Interestingly, Google instantly turned down the recommendation of whether anyone was promoted according to gender or race. Nevertheless, the company’s denial may have caused the controversy even more. Maguire claims that nobody from Google even attempted to listen to his side before firing off blanket non-denials. He called Google’s stance “pathetic.”
The outcry comes in addition to AI initiatives that Google is under fire for AI exhibiting racial and gender bias in one of the models like Gemini. The company should take responsibility for rectifying the “fairness” problems – whether in the hiring, the promotions, or the algorithms.
As for Maguire, he says he would prefer real change over just the payout. Yet, the accusation has put Google’s $1.6 trillion reputation at stake. One thing is clear: the corporate culture wars in Silicon Valley are intensifying, making diversity and inclusion a more contested issue than ever before.
