20% Of Google’s AI Hires In 2025 Are Ex-Employees

As competition for top AI talent grows between companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic, Google is using a smart strategy to stay ahead — bringing back its former employees.

In 2025, around 20% of the AI software engineers hired by Google were ex-employees, often called “boomerang hires.” A Google spokesperson confirmed the figure and said the company has also seen more AI researchers joining from rival tech companies compared to 2024. Google says engineers are attracted by its strong momentum, powerful computing resources, and ability to build large-scale AI products.

Why Engineers Are Returning to Google:-

John Casey, Google’s head of compensation, told employees that AI engineers are drawn to Google because of its deep financial resources and massive computing power, which are essential for advanced AI research.

Google has a large pool of former employees to rehire from, especially after Alphabet laid off 12,000 workers in early 2023. Since then, the company has continued smaller rounds of layoffs and buyouts, increasing the number of former staff available to return.

Industry data from ADP Research also shows that boomerang hiring is rising across the tech sector, with information technology seeing the biggest increase.

Google’s AI Comeback:-
After a slow start following OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Google has made a strong comeback in the generative AI space. Heavy investments in AI infrastructure and the success of its Gemini app have helped the company regain ground.Google recently launched Gemini 3, its latest AI model, focused on speed and lower costs. Thanks to its AI progress, Alphabet’s stock is up over 60% this year, beating other major tech companies.

Fierce Competition for AI Talent:-
Despite rehiring former staff, Google continues to face stiff competition. Microsoft hired several researchers from Google’s DeepMind lab earlier this year. OpenAI and Meta are also offering massive pay packages to attract talent. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that Meta has offered signing bonuses as high as $100 million to AI researchers.

Key AI Leaders Return:-
One major comeback was Noam Shazeer, a well-known AI researcher who left Google in 2021 to co-found Character.AI. He returned to Google DeepMind in 2024, along with his team, under a licensing deal for their technology.

Faster Decisions and Less Bureaucracy:-

Over the past year, Google has moved faster, releasing products more quickly and cutting internal red tape. The company has reduced management layers and encouraged buyouts to speed up decision-making.Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who returned in 2023, has also personally reached out to AI candidates. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly done the same to recruit top researchers.