Estrategias de retención del personal. Una reflexión sobre su efectividad y alcances

Employee retention is a current organizational challenge. In most skilled positions, labor demand exceeds supply, generating a phenomenon called ‘the headhunting war’. Applicant’s skills, capabilities and ‘know-how’ had become important assets. This refers not only to specific technical positions but also to whole organizations looking for competitive advantages. The main objective of the qualitative research presented here was finding out the effectiveness and scope of employee retention strategies in productive organizations of the greater Valle del Aburrá in Antioquia, Colombia. Between 2008 and 2009, 89 organizations were examined. The results of the study suggest that there are not formal employee retention strategies. This casts a doubt on the effectiveness and scope of the implementation of those strategies. Additionally, it shows a new reality in the job market: constant and unpredictable mobility.La retención del personal es un desafío actual. Para muchos cargos califi cados la demanda laboral superó a la oferta, provocando lo que se ha denominado la guerra por los talentos. El requerimiento de destrezas, capacidades o competencias del "saber hacer" se convierte en uno de los activos empresariales más importantes: no solo se limita a cargos técnicos específi cos sino a una necesidad organizacional conjunta, capaz de generar una ventaja competitiva con respecto