Human resource practices, perceived employability and turnover intention: does age matter?

This paper investigates the age specificities in the link between employee's perceived external employability and turnover intention and how the use of human resource practices moderates this relationship. Results show that the use of motivation-enhancing HR practices induces a larger retention effect for younger and middle-aged employees than for older ones, whereas the turnover intention effects of flexibility-enhancing HR practices are stronger for the middle-age and older groups than for the younger groups. Moreover, the use of HR practices that stimulate employees' motivation, such as training, participation, voice and teamwork, plays a stronger role in retaining highly employable younger employees, while the use of HR practices that offer flexibility, such as flexible working time, teleworking and work-life balance, enables retaining highly employable older employees.

Automated summary

This study examines the relationship between employee perceived external employability and turnover intention, and the moderating effects of age on human resource practices. Findings suggest that motivation-enhancing HR practices benefit younger and middle-aged employees more, while flexibility-enhancing HR practices are more effective for middle-aged and older employees. Additionally, motivation-enhancing practices help retain highly employable younger employees, while flexibility-enhancing practices are key in retaining highly employable older employees.