Canva has been making lists of best places to work in both Australia and the Philippines. It has also been growing fast along with its OB fame. Launching in 2012 as a design company, by 2022 Canva had office locations in Sydney, Manila and Beijing, and more than 2000 employees, plus 60 million users in 190 countries worldwide.
So, what makes it great to work at Canva? Mainly it is an embrace of diversity and inclusion, along with a culture of celebrating people and achievements. Some practical examples are:
• regular surveys to check on staff wellbeing and generate new ideas for helping people stay happy and healthy at work • a Vibe & Thrive allowance for staff to claim on any wellbeing activities they want, such as celebrations, healthcare and education • a Future of Work policy to support diversity hiring and cater to various backgrounds needs and personal priorities • an Employee Assistance Program with 13 paid sessions with relevant health practitioners • automatic calendar entries for Meet-Free Wednesday and ‘Sacred Lunch Hour’
• during pandemic lockdowns, paid Flex-Leave for anyone needing to take extended breaks • a Recharge Day for a shared team break • invitations for wellbeing providers to share tips for minimising anxiety, and keeping healthy boundaries between work and home • #diversity-inclusion and #lgbtqia-pride-club Slack channels for resources, support and inclusion.
Canva is renowned for its workplace being colourful, bright, eclectic and designed to uplift the spirits, in line with precisely the same design principles the company offers to its clients. Staff get to enjoy bright colours, festive vibes and lively exhibits while they think, talk, work, eat and play. The office space is flexibly designed to open out into event spaces. Work objectives are not pushed relentlessly. Staff are able to work how they feel comfortable and where they feel comfortable. Flexible work is promoted, such as the option to work from home as necessary to manage family commitments. New staff members get lots of Canva merchandise. Those who achieve five years at Canva go onto the Wall of Fame via a personalised caricature, a new honorary title and a testimonial video from their close work colleagues. Every employee is given equity options as an ownership stake in Canva. The founders of Canva, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, hold 30 per cent (\($16\) billion) equity and have given a lot of it to their Canva Foundation which, among other projects, is collaborating with GiveDirectly to give mobile payments amounting to \($10\) million to disadvantaged people in Southern Africa. In short, Canva is ticking many good people management boxes, and its flexibility and attention to relationships is positioning it as an organisational behaviour exemplar. The company faces OB challenges relating to growth. It recently raised new capital of \($US200\) million and planned to double its staff numbers in a year or so. Both good

Questions
1. Why would ethics be important to a company like Canva? How can its focus on values and ethics improve its business performance?
2. Appearing on ‘best places to work’ lists can increase an employer’s popularity, even among lower-qualified applicants. The increased volume of applicants can be costly and time-consuming. What do you feel are the benefits and drawbacks to being on this type of list? Do you think that it is generally beneficial to be publicly recognised as a good employer? Why or why not?
3. Do Canva’s values and culture appeal to you as a potential employee? Why or why not?