Competence has become the new currency in working life. At the same time, we face a paradox: organizations are downsizing and laying off employees, while the shortage of skills is growing. This article explains why we need to work across silos and create mobility in competence. When people are given the opportunity to broaden their learning journeys, instead of being trapped in uncertainty or unemployment, both organizations and the socially sustainable workplace are strengthened.
The paradox: downsizing and skills shortages
On today’s labor market, we see two parallel trends. Industry and parts of the public sector are downsizing to handle economic pressures and efficiency demands. At the same time, most employers report that they struggle to find the right skills, particularly in healthcare, education, IT, and technology.
This means that we release people in one part of the system while experiencing shortages in another. The paradox is that competence exists, but is not used. The steering mechanisms are not sufficiently developed to move people where they are needed. The result is misdirected efforts: short-term recruitments, expensive consultancy solutions, and employees who could have contributed elsewhere being left without opportunities.
Competence as the new currency
“Competence is the new currency.”
When competence is seen as a currency, the entire logic of how we view working life changes. It is no longer about static employment, but about being able to move between roles, functions, and organizations.
Seeing competence as currency means that:
- Employees can be loaned out instead of being laid off.
- Organizations can strengthen capacity where needs are urgent.
- Society can mobilize resources more effectively.
Global actors such as Deloitte and McKinsey describe this as the shift towards skills-based organizations, where it is not the job title that matters but the actual competence and how it can contribute across contexts.
The logic of ecosystems: the future of value creation
Development does not take place in isolated companies or functions, but in networks. According to the World Economic Forum (Future of Jobs, 2025) and McKinsey (2025), up to 70% of global value creation by 2030 will take place in ecosystems.
This means that the ability to collaborate across silos and boundaries becomes decisive. When value is created in ecosystems, it is not individual roles or organizations that matter, but how competence can move and connect.
In this landscape, competence is not only an internal resource but a currency that must be visible, mobile, and anchored in larger contexts. Building structures for competence mobility and cross-functional learning therefore becomes a direct competitive factor.
Learning journeys and lifelong learning
When people are given the opportunity to use their competence in new contexts, learning journeys are created that are essential for lifelong learning.
- On the individual level, it means developing confidence, broader experience, and greater employability.
- On the organizational level, it means creating more resilient operations that can adapt quickly to change.
- On the societal level, competence mobility contributes to higher employment, better matching, and greater innovation capacity.
Working across silos is therefore not only a question of efficiency – it is about building a sustainable ecosystem for learning.
Social sustainability and security
A working life built on passivity through layoffs and redundancies creates anxiety and ill-health. Data from social insurance agencies shows that mental health issues are the leading cause of sick leave, with rising costs for individuals, employers, and society.
When people instead are given the chance to move, contribute, and develop, security is created. Security is one of the most important parameters for human well-being. Knowing that one’s competence can be used, even in times of change, reduces stress and strengthens the sense of meaning.
Competence mobility and working across silos can therefore be seen as investments in a socially sustainable working life.
Steering competence as a resource
The problem is not the absence of competence, but the lack of steering. Today’s models are too fragmented. We have systems for recruitment, staffing, and training, but lack an integrated overview.
For competence to function as currency, we need:
- Visibility: organizations and societies must be able to see which competence actually exists.
- Mobility: structures that make it possible to move people where they are needed.
- Matching: long-term models that connect resources to needs.
Without this, we risk continuing to lose capacity while costs for recruitment, sick leave, and ill-health rise.
Break silos and create mobility
Seeing competence as the new currency means a fundamental shift in how we view work. It is about breaking silos and creating mobility, not only for efficiency, but to build socially sustainable workplaces.
When people are given opportunities to develop, feel secure, and contribute even during times of change, both organizations and society are strengthened. The paradox we see today, where downsizing and skills shortages exist simultaneously, can be resolved by steering competence better and opening new paths for mobility.
Competence is our new currency. The question is how we choose to use it.
Further reading
- Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen): Recruitment needs and skills shortages
- Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan): Sick leave in psychiatric diagnoses – costs and developments
- OECD: Lifelong learning and skills mobility
- Deloitte: Skills-based organizations – the future of work
- World Economic Forum (2025): Future of Jobs Report
- McKinsey (2025): Strategies to win in the new ecosystem economy
