By Cara Waters
High-flying design software startup Canva is readying for a fully flexible return to work once lockdowns come to an end.
Staff at the $19 billion technology company will only be required to come into its offices eight times a year with the coronavirus pandemic thrusting Canva into a “big experiment” on how people work.
“It’s definitely a whole new world of work,” billionaire co-founder and chief product officer Cameron Adams told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. “I think the traditional notion of going into work in the office isn’t going to really exist anymore, and anyone who does stick to that is going to have a hard time finding the talent.”
Canva co-founders Cameron Adams, Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins are offering staff the option to be fully flexible.
Canva was founded by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams in 2013 and aims to allow anyone to easily design products including greeting cards, posters, websites and presentation slides.
In an email sent to the startup’s entire workforce Ms Perkins outlined a “hybrid work model” for the startup, with a balance between “flexibility and connection”.
While flexibility has been constrained over the last 18 months of the pandemic with ongoing lockdowns Adams says Canva’s 2,000 strong workforce has been able to experience some of the benefits of working from home.
“We’ve had a taste of what that flexibility looks like and being able to spend more time with your family, prioritise your day and figure out when you want to work, what you want to work on,” he said. “Even I and my two co-founders have really enjoyed that flexibility and that ability to come into the office when we want, meet people when we need to do a Zoom call and juggle all the things.”
After surveying staff Canva believes the majority will want to come in more than eight times a year with two or three days a week in the office the “sweet spot” for many.
However, Mr Adams said there is a flipside for the company which prides itself on its culture and newly renovated offices with a rooftop bar and an inhouse chef.
“We also realise that we need connection as a group, so everyone in Canva needs to feel connected, teams need to feel connected, they need to communicate in different ways, they need to collaborate in different ways and often that can best be done in person,” he said. “When possible you should come into the office at least two times a quarter, what we call seasons, and when you do come in, make it a moment that’s really worthwhile so that you’re connecting with your team, you’re sharing ideas with them, and you’re bonding.”
Adams says Canva’s policy is “not that extreme” in comparison to tech compatriot Atlassian’s “Team Anywhere” policy, which enables its staff to work from any location in a country where it has a corporate entity, where they have the legal right to work and where the time zone they are in is broadly aligned with that of their team members.
“I think the traditional notion of going into work in the office isn’t going to really exist anymore,“: Canva co-founder Cameron Adams. Credit: Peter Braig
Instead, Canva’s staff must be based around its hubs and legal entities in Sydney, Manila in the Philippines, Beijing and Wuhan in China and Austin in the United States.
After surveying staff Canva believes the majority will want to come in more than eight times a year with two or three days a week in the office the “sweet spot” for many.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a boon for Canva which has attracted new users through people working from home and turning to new collaborative tools, such as the startup’s presentations suite. The company expects to double its revenue for the financial year ending March 31, 2022 to turn over $US1 billion.
Mr Obrecht says Canva’s staff are “absolutely loving” having flexibility in their work.
“Full flexibility for us is here to stay,” he said. “People are desperate to get back to the office. But I think being able to have that flexibility around when do you come to the office is just amazing.”
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