The Influence of Rater and Ratee Age on Judgments of Work-Related Attributes

Canadian employers (N = 811) rated a younger and an older worker on 21 work-related attributes. Consensus between older and younger employers' perceptions of older and younger employees was high. Older workers were rated higher than younger workers on individual initiative, stability, and experience; younger workers were rated higher than older workers on potential for development. Results of an Age of Employer × Age of Worker interaction indicated that younger employers rated younger workers more favorably and older employers rated older workers more favorably.