Are the differences not that different? Exploring an age perspective on employee preferences using an employer review platform
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Due to demographic changes and their impact on the labor market, attracting and retaining older employees plays a decisive role in organizations’ ability to maintain their workforce. This requires organizations to publicly display a work environment that fits the particular preferences of this target group. Drawing on lifespan theories, we examine how the link between employee preferences and employees’ likelihood of recommending their employer to others varies by age. To address the lack of integration between the literatures on workforce aging and employer branding, we take an empirical approach analyzing 292,429 numeric and unedited text-based employee reviews from an employer rating platform. Our findings reveal that relationship-building, fair and appreciative supervisor behavior, positive interactions with older colleagues, and location-flexible, efficient working conditions play pivotal roles in shaping older employees’ likelihood of recommending their employer. Although these age-related interaction effects are significant, they remain small, suggesting broadly compatible preferences between older and younger employees. We also demonstrate that these findings are robust across gender and different income groups. Finally, we provide tangible recommendations for the incorporation of lifespan theories in the employer branding context and highlight the value of using platform data for future research.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 23970022251337642 |
| Journal | German Journal of Human Resource Management |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 31 May 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
| Externally published | Yes |
External IDs
| Scopus | 105007157463 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-1798-4638/work/197966059 |