Staffing practices and employee performance: the role of age

Purpose Staffing is a tool that employers use to decrease information asymmetry when hiring employees. However, how staffing effectiveness evolves according to employee demographic characteristics has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model linking staffing practices, age and employee performance. Design/methodology/approach Using a stratified sample of 1,254 employees, the authors hypothesize: the main effects of staffing practices on employee performance, the main effects of age on employee performance and the moderating effects of age on the relationship between staffing practices and employee performance. Findings The results show significant positive effects of staffing and age on employee performance and a negative moderating effect of age on the abovementioned relationship. Practical implications The organizations are urged to invest in recruitment and selection practices and implement focused practices that appeal to an aging workforce. Originality/value The paper is the first to explore the topic of aging workforce and the efficiency of staffing practices on employee performance in the context of the Greek labor force. The authors discuss the results, theoretical contributions, practical implications and future research directions in light of the challenge of managing an aging workforce.