(I've chosen, of the data, the most recent year, and the highest % of bachelors for women in a year)
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/...s/dt12_349.asp
Your explanation of this gap is either, sexism/societal influence? Would you say there are 'no' possibility of any biological predispositions in play?*
"claiming that a percentage of the people you work with (and who will have to work with you) are biologically less able and interested"
This is not an accurate assessment of the memo. IF employment is based on merit, THEN we can expect that the individuals you work with are of equal ability/interest. And since it seems to track pretty closely with the degrees in computer & information sciences, the pool of women is simply smaller and 'should' result in fewer female workers, and Google's efforts will be fruitless or discriminatory towards men to artificially raise the amount of women:men in the workforce.
Is it really "reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes" to say: "Well, I guess women are just less interested in this field, maybe we're just a bit different". It's a statement that simply appears to be true. And if that is enough to sway women away from entering the field, well so be it. If women are so fragile that they shatter at the mere mention that they don't seem to be interested in a subject, then what in the hell sort of emotional accommodation do they need? Do they need a fucking pacifier? It sure as shit doesn't seem like such a frail person would be able to survive in an even vaguely competitive environment anyway. No, I doubt women are this pathetic. I think they might just be more, or less, interested in a subject, and there's 'nothing' wrong with that.
The question is just: 'why' are the more or less interested in this specific field? Perhaps it does largely relate to the social situation of a society...
When the Norwegian government attempted to solve gender representation in nursing, the net effect was essentially null. Males just seemed less interested in the task, regardless of incentive. Is that because Nurses are sexists? Or that Norway is just such hyper-conservative and hyper-masculine society that men couldn't stand becoming a social pariah for becoming a nurse?
You can watch a documentary that deals with this subject here,
Brainwash 1:7 - The Gender Equality Paradox
https://vimeo.com/19707588
In this it seems to show that gender representation in technical fields is negatively related to the freedom of the society (~5:20->?**). Women in countries that treat women poorly seem more interested in technical fields, and where they're more equal to men, they prefer more traditionally "female" occupations. I don't know what research is being referenced by the documentary that supports this, and I don't care to look for it any further than I have.
Assuming this is true, then why is that the case? Why would women desire tech jobs less when they're more free to choose? Could that have anything to do with biology? Or is it another societal influence elsewhere, and does that influence affect men and women differently, and why?
Context should define the offensiveness of a statement. So yes, his arguing in good-faith matters, and no one should waste their time being offended by it or whine about it being "toxic".
*I feel like an illegal alien happening upon Trump's (future, maybe?) wall. I'm not scaling a paywall to read that book.
**I watched this years ago, I'm not watching it again.