Google's boomerang year: 20% of AI engineers/SWE hired in 2025 were ex-employees (www.cnbc.com)

Google's recent hiring trend reveals that 20% of its AI software engineers hired in 2025 are "boomerang employees," individuals who have returned after previously leaving the company. This uptick marks a significant shift amidst fierce competition for AI talent against giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta. The trend follows the largest layoffs in Google's history in early 2023, which left a large pool of former employees available for rehire. Google attributes its appeal to its extensive computational resources and commitment to developing groundbreaking AI products. As the company aims to catch up in the generative AI landscape, particularly following the success of OpenAI's ChatGPT, it has accelerated its investments in AI infrastructure and product development. The introduction of its latest model, Gemini 3, represents Google's strategic pivot toward rapid deployment of AI technology, even if some products are not fully polished. Google's recent efforts to streamline operations include reducing bureaucracy and reorganizing management structures, further positioning it as an attractive destination for top-tier AI talent, further evidenced by its ability to reclaim high-profile researchers like Noam Shazeer from AI startup Character.AI.