Google employees are getting increasingly dissatisfied with their compensation, according to an internal culture survey viewed by Insider.
Google has issued the results of its annual employee survey called Googlegeist, and compensation is one area where staffers are most unhappy.
The results, which were shared across the company by CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday, revealed employees felt better about wellbeing and Google's work to make its products more inclusive. However, there was a year-on-year decline in how Googlers felt about how they were being paid, and how their compensation compared to rival companies. Still, a majority responded positively to questions about their compensation.
53% of Googlers responded favorably that their total compensation is competitive compared to that of similar jobs at other companies, down from 63% last year. Meanwhile, 27% responded unfavorably, up from 18% last year. 20% of Googlers were neutral.
In addition, 60% of Googlers responded favorably that their total compensation is "fair and equitable," down from 66% last year. 19% responded unfavorably, up from 14% last year. 21% were neutral.
For a consecutive year, more than half of Googlers responded either negatively or neutrally to a question about whether their work is slowed by unnecessary hierarchy or bureaucracy. Just 46% responded positively.
Many responses showed positive changes at the company. More Googlers said their well-being had improved, as 62% of Googlers responded favorably that they could detach work from non-work time, up from 57% last year.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said one Google engineer based in California, who spoke to Insider on the condition of anonymity because they were unauthorized to speak to the press. "I think everyone's feeling better after working from home for so long. But the changes to the comp plans have been pretty divisive, so I'm not surprised there's been a bit of a swing."
Google's spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Most Googlers are still working remotely, but the company has called employees back to offices and expects most staffers to be in the office at least three days a week starting April 4. Employees who opt to work remote may face pay cuts of up to 25% depending on their location. The issue has caused consternation among some employees, including those working in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina, where employees recently protested the new wage policy.
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the labor market dramatically, and tech companies have had to respond in order to attract and retain talent. As tech firms split on their approach to remote work, companies offering more flexible policies have proven more attractive to some workers.
Compensation has also been a top concern at other big tech companies. Amazon recently doubled its base salary after employees cited compensation as a top reason they were looking to leave the company. Moreover, ongoing talent wars, especially from cryptocurrency and Web3 companies willing to pay top dollar for talent with big tech experience, have given tech workers more leverage in landing higher salaries.
Last year, Google changed its equity structure for news hires, letting employees cash in more of their equity awards sooner.
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