Hybridarbetets påverkan på arbetsplatslärande: ur HR-personalens perspektiv

Sammanfattning

Hybrid work has quickly become an established feature of corporate jobs and office jobs, significantly changing how employees interact and learn and how they socialize with the organisation. As work increasingly takes place across physical and remote settings, the workplace has become more flexible. Previous research shows that the home has become an integral work environment in hybrid work arrangements, where factors such as ergonomics, the work environment, and opportunities for privacy strongly influence employees’ well-being and work performance. These material and environmental conditions shape individuals’ capacity for concentration, reflection, and engagement in everyday learning processes. The aim of the present study is to explore how hybrid work arrangements influence informal learning and socialization in everyday work, from the perspectives of HR professionals. The study uses a qualitative method and is based on semi-structured interviews with nine employees within the HR field from diverse organizational contexts. The empirical material is analyzed through theoretical perspectives on communities of practice, situated learning, and informal learning, as well as research on the management of boundaries between work and private life in hybrid work environments. The findings indicate that hybrid work does not eliminate informal learning or communities of practice, instead it reshapes how participation, interaction, and knowledge exchange are structured. Physical meetings are partially replaced by digital interactions, which affects accessibility, relationship-building, and opportunities for spontaneous communication. At the same time, this entails reduced commuting time and increased flexibility, contributing to an improved work–life balance, greater control over working hours, and possibly lower stress levels. The results indicate that informal learning in hybrid environments depends on deliberate organizational structures and strategies aimed at facilitating social interaction and knowledge sharing. This includes both how physical workplaces are arranged and how digital work is planned to support everyday learning. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how hybrid work reshapes rather than replaces informal learning, communities of practice, and socialization. The findings highlight the necessity of organizational conditions that actively support social interaction and learning across both physical and digital work environments.