The conclusion of Google's $3.1bn acquisition of DoubleClick may have an unwanted backlash on employees.

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt warned in a blog posting that the deal is likely to lead to staff cuts.

"As with most mergers, there may be reductions in headcount. We expect these to take place in the US and possibly in other regions as well," said Schmidt.

"We know that DoubleClick is built on the strength of its people. For this reason we'll strive to minimise the impact of this process on all our clients and employees."

The decision on the staff cuts will not be made for a few weeks, according to Schmidt. Intense scrutiny of the deal by regulatory agencies meant that little could be done to plan the integration of the two firms.

"An immediate task we'll undertake over the next few weeks is matching and aligning DoubleClick employees with our organisational plan for the business," wrote Schmidt.
"This will involve determining the right staffing levels for all functions and will ensure that we have the right people assigned to the right responsibilities within Google."

Schmidt expects to have final US staffing plans completed by early April. Staff cuts in other regions, if necessary, will follow in accordance with local laws.

Google first agreed to purchase DoubleClick in April 2007. The $3.1bn deal drew criticism from competitors such as Microsoft, and became a target of scrutiny by regulators in the US and Europe.