Hybrid Workforce: Competences for Effective Collaboration Between Employees and Software Robots

Abstract

Automation of mundane and manual office work has been intensively growing in importance at various organizations. Our multimethod case study at a large insurance enterprise examined the organization of hybrid workplaces, employee perceptions of digital teammates, team changes after robot introduction, and differences in social and personal competencies between hybrid teams (human–robot) and traditional teams (human-only). Key findings reveal that employees perceive lower importance for statistically significant competencies in hybrid teams, with social competencies showing the largest decrease. Despite expectations of upskilling, certain competencies like decision-making and innovation decreased in perceived importance as robots assumed routine responsibilities. The article provides a task-value flow model for hybrid teams and practical guidance for competence management in semiautomated environments.