Canva will restructure its workforce, with 1,271 employees, or 22% of its total workforce, set to be affected by changes to roles, relocations and job cuts. The announcement was made by co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins in a communication to employees on November 4.
Explaining the decision, Perkins said the company needed to reassess its organisational structure, team locations and the skills required for its next phase. She described the development as the most difficult in Canva's 13-year history.
"This is without doubt the hardest moment in our thirteen-year history," Perkins said.
The restructuring comes as Canva faces a slowdown in growth, which the company said had declined for the first time in a decade. Perkins said changing technology was also reshaping how people create content and what they expect from digital products.
"After exploring a wide range of alternatives, I've come to the difficult conclusion that small changes won’t be enough," she said, adding that Canva needed to return to smaller teams with greater autonomy and decision-making powers.
Canva to merge Product, Growth and Platform teams
The restructuring will involve three major organisational changes. Canva plans to bring its Product, Growth and Platform divisions under a single Product organisation to reduce coordination between teams and establish clearer ownership of projects.
The company will also reduce specialised roles, simplify management layers and consolidate overlapping responsibilities. Narrower areas of expertise will be brought together into broader roles, allowing teams to take responsibility for projects from start to finish.
Additionally, Sydney will become the primary base for more of Canva's product teams and certain other specialist roles. From January, most employees working under the hybrid model will be expected to spend two to three days a week in the office, depending on their location.
Canva announces severance and support package
For employees leaving the company, Canva has announced a support package that includes at least six months of salary, including statutory entitlements, irrespective of location.
The package also provides 12 months of healthcare coverage in countries where it is currently available, along with a year of access to Canva Care, its employee assistance programme. Employees who joined within the past year will also have the one-year equity vesting requirement removed.
Canva will provide career assistance, including individual coaching, interview preparation and one year of LinkedIn Premium. Departing employees will also be able to retain their company-issued MacBooks.
The company is additionally launching the Canva Collective Fund, which will offer US$10,000 grants to employees leaving the organisation who want to start a business or undertake community projects. Applications for the grants will remain open until December 14, with Canva stating that it will not claim ownership or equity in the ventures.
Canva, which operates across 37 countries, said the timing of employee discussions would vary depending on local requirements. The company has scheduled an all-hands meeting for November 10 to address questions and explain its plans for the next phase.
