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本文擷取自knotel的WHY DO COMPANIES MOVE OFFICES? HERE’S WHAT 170 EXECUTIVES SAID一文

Moving offices can be both an exciting and terrifying experience. Looking at offices holds the promise of finding that perfect spot where your company can thrive. At the same time, finding an office can be a time-consuming process that can derail company progress because the team is focused on the logistics of the move.

對於上班族來說,  公司搬家的經驗肯定是五味雜陳的-可能會有興奮的感覺(搬到新地方)但同時會覺得疲累(要搬很多東西), 不過換個角度思考, 對於公司來說, 這項舉措很可能代表著公司想選個更好的地段以利於營運, 不過也可能會受到負面的影響-因為整個公司都全力投入在搬家上, 而無法放心思在日常工作

How often do companies actually move offices and what are their motivations? We analyzes survey data from Priceonomics customer Knotel, a company that helps businesses  find, design, and operate office spaces. The survey questioned executives about why they moved, what were the most important factors, and what were the payoffs and downsides.

那麼有沒有想過, 到底公司大約多久會搬一次家?而搬家的動機為何?根據上述的問題, 我們從Knotel, 這個協助企業安排辦公室設計及選址的公司, 所提供的相關問卷資料進行分析。本次問卷的對象會是公司的主管階級, 會請他們回答公司搬家的原因、最重要的考量點以及影響

We found that the most common reason companies moved was because of high growth necessitating a new space. What was the downside of moving? 95% of companies said the move created some level of distraction and more than half of companies experienced a loss of productivity. The biggest upside of moving? Improved company morale because of the new improved office space.

在本次的調查中, 我們發現搬家最常見的因素, 莫過於公司在高成長的情況下, 亟需要相對應的新環境。那優點為何? 換了新環境-較大的辦公空間, 能改善公司內部整體的情緒,  而缺點方面, 受訪者認為搬家會影響到公司的營運進度的約有95%, 另外也有超過一半的則認為產能會有所損失。

Before diving further into the results, it’s worth spending a moment on the methodology of the survey. This fall, we surveyed 170 executives that worked at mid-sized companies (50-500 employees) in the 25 largest urban areas in the United States on the topic of moving offices. Questions ranged from details about searching for space, to selection criteria and the impact of the move.

在深入探討調查結果之前,  讓我們先說明這次的調查方法吧。 在今年的秋季, 我們請170位在美國前25大都會區中型企業(50-500名員工)的主管, 填寫本次問卷, 其中內容包含了空間, 選擇搬家的依據以及影響等等

Of the executives we survey, 92.5% of them had been involved with moves at their current companies. As the chart below shows, almost half of the respondents had been involved with two or more moves.

其中有92.5%的受訪者的現職是有搬家相關經驗的公司, 而幾乎有半數以上都有兩次以上的搬家經歷

資料來源: Knotel

Why do companies switch offices? By a significant margin, the number one reason for initiating an office move is company growth.

在本次的調查中, 我們發現公司的成長是搬家的首要原因, 在問卷的應答比例遠遠超越了其他因素

資料來源: Knotel

The second most common reason for moving is the company needs a different space due to new work requirements. Notably, only 14.9% of companies move simply because their lease is expiring and only 2.5% of companies move in response to a downturn in business.

第二名則是公司因為新的工作需求而需要不同的工作環境, 另一方面, 純粹只是因為租約到期而搬家的比例僅佔14.9%, 公司營運狀況欠佳而需要搬家的則只有2.5%

Companies are typically locked into long-term leases. More than half of respondents had leases of greater than five years.

之所以租約到期而搬遷的比例會如此低, 是因為公司通常都是簽長期的租約-在本次問卷中有一半的主管所任職的公司租約都在5年以上

資料來源: Knotel

31.7% of respondents have leases of 10 years or more. Nearly all companies have a lease of greater than one year, with most having leases greater than five years. Given that company growth is the most common reason for initiating an office move, long-term leases of a fixed space can be extremely problematic.

在本次的問卷中, 幾乎所有受訪者的現職公司, 在同地點所簽的租約都超過1年; 超過五年的佔大約一半左右, 而簽下10年以上的長約則多達31.7%。由前面所提到搬遷最常見的原因可以推論, 這種長期的租約很可能代表著, 公司在營運上可能碰到了瓶頸

When companies do move, price isn’t the primary motivator; location is.

當公司要搬遷的時候, 租金並非主要的考量重點, 而是位置

資料來源: Knotel

Notable, the number one consequence isn’t positive—52.2% of respondents said the move resulted in the loss of productivity. Additionally 24.8% reported executive distraction because of the move.

在上面的圖表中可以發現, 在搬家所帶來的影響中,  最多受訪者的回應並非是正面的。 有超過一半的人表示, 搬家會讓公司的產能下滑; 另外也有近四分之一的人有著搬家會讓管理效能變差的經驗

It isn’t all bad news; 45.3% of respondents said the company experienced a morale boost from an improved space. However, highlighting the importance of proper office design and selection, 26.1% had the exact opposite result—morale suffered because the space was suboptimal.

搬家並非只對公司有負面影響, 有45.3%的受訪者表示公司在搬到一個新的環境後, 公司整體的氛圍也有所改善; 不過也有26.1%的經驗與之相反, 很可能是因為新環境有著較好的裝潢, 但空間變得比之前小

Moving office can provide space for a growth team and boost morale because of the new pleasing environment, but it’s also time consuming and distracting.

這絕對是一體兩面的事情-儘管搬辦公室是成長中的團隊所需要的, 而且嶄新的環境能提升全體士氣, 但相對也會耗費時間且負面影響到公司的運營

資料來源: Knotel

63.9% of respondents claimed that the move was either a major or moderate distraction. All but 5% of people stated moving offices produced at least some distraction.

有63.9%的受訪者認為搬家會拖累公司的營運, 但同時也有5%覺得影響很小

Getting a new office space can be one of the most exhilarating times in a company’s history. It’s not just a place to work, but can also have tangible impacts on employee morale.

公司搬家的確是一件令人振奮的事情-尤其是搬到更寬敞, 裝潢新穎的地方, 對於公司職員在工作的身心靈提升絕對有所幫助

In this survey we found that the most common reason companies move offices is because of their growth. Companies that move for “growth” reasons versus “non-growth” tend to be relatively less concerned with price and more about amenities and flexibility of the lease. And as with most things in real estate “location location location” is key for everyone.

在本次問卷調查中發現, 搬家的主要原因在於原先的環境無法應付公司的成長狀況, 而非租約相關的內容-價格或是租期, 當然就像是房地產的地理因素一樣的重要

The downside of a new office is that the process can be enormously distracting and time consuming. Most companies report moderate to major distraction as well as a loss of productivity during the move. But when executed property, a new move has the opportunity to boost morale and provide a great environment for a growing company.

不過, 公司搬家也會為公司帶來負面影響-拖累公司營運而且相當耗時。在搬家期間, 有大多數的公司有受到大幅度的負面影響, 但換個角度想, 如果搬家安排得妥當, 到新環境的確會對成長中的企業有更上一層樓的機會

本文譯自Priceonomics的Why Do Companies Move Offices一文, 中文翻譯僅代表個人觀點供大家參考，如有不妥處，歡迎指正