---
_id: '66108'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: <jats:p>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.</jats:p>
author:
- first_name: Ann Sophie
  full_name: Lauterbach, Ann Sophie
  last_name: Lauterbach
- first_name: Katharina
  full_name: Radermacher, Katharina
  id: '47691'
  last_name: Radermacher
citation:
  ama: 'Lauterbach AS, Radermacher K. Are the differences not that different? Exploring
    an age perspective on employee preferences using an employer review platform.
    <i>German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Personalforschung</i>.
    2025;40(1):87-118. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">10.1177/23970022251337642</a>'
  apa: 'Lauterbach, A. S., &#38; Radermacher, K. (2025). Are the differences not that
    different? Exploring an age perspective on employee preferences using an employer
    review platform. <i>German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift Für
    Personalforschung</i>, <i>40</i>(1), 87–118. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642</a>'
  bibtex: '@article{Lauterbach_Radermacher_2025, title={Are the differences not that
    different? Exploring an age perspective on employee preferences using an employer
    review platform}, volume={40}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">10.1177/23970022251337642</a>},
    number={1}, journal={German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift
    für Personalforschung}, publisher={SAGE Publications}, author={Lauterbach, Ann
    Sophie and Radermacher, Katharina}, year={2025}, pages={87–118} }'
  chicago: 'Lauterbach, Ann Sophie, and Katharina Radermacher. “Are the Differences
    Not That Different? Exploring an Age Perspective on Employee Preferences Using
    an Employer Review Platform.” <i>German Journal of Human Resource Management:
    Zeitschrift Für Personalforschung</i> 40, no. 1 (2025): 87–118. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642</a>.'
  ieee: 'A. S. Lauterbach and K. Radermacher, “Are the differences not that different?
    Exploring an age perspective on employee preferences using an employer review
    platform,” <i>German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Personalforschung</i>,
    vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 87–118, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">10.1177/23970022251337642</a>.'
  mla: 'Lauterbach, Ann Sophie, and Katharina Radermacher. “Are the Differences Not
    That Different? Exploring an Age Perspective on Employee Preferences Using an
    Employer Review Platform.” <i>German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift
    Für Personalforschung</i>, vol. 40, no. 1, SAGE Publications, 2025, pp. 87–118,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23970022251337642">10.1177/23970022251337642</a>.'
  short: 'A.S. Lauterbach, K. Radermacher, German Journal of Human Resource Management:
    Zeitschrift Für Personalforschung 40 (2025) 87–118.'
date_created: 2026-07-02T09:27:13Z
date_updated: 2026-07-02T09:49:54Z
department:
- _id: '19'
doi: 10.1177/23970022251337642
intvolume: '        40'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 87-118
publication: 'German Journal of Human Resource Management: Zeitschrift für Personalforschung'
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2397-0022
  - 2397-0030
publication_status: published
publisher: SAGE Publications
status: public
title: Are the differences not that different? Exploring an age perspective on employee
  preferences using an employer review platform
type: journal_article
user_id: '54657'
volume: 40
year: '2025'
...