The impact of age-to-grade recruitment policy on career progression, employee retention, and organizational productivity in Nigerian deposit money banks

This study empirically investigates the impact of the perceived Age-to-Grade Recruitment Policy defined by explicit age restrictions for entry and tacit norms linking age to job grade on critical human resource outcomes within Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). Utilizing a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 400 DMB employees across various tiers. Simple linear regression analysis was employed to test the predictive power of the Age-to-Grade policy perception on Career Progression satisfaction, Employee Turnover Intent, and perceived Organizational Productivity. The findings conclusively demonstrate that the perceived policy influence significantly and negatively impacts employee satisfaction with Career Progression (β = -0.504, p < 0.001) and perceived Organizational Productivity (β = -0.298, p < 0.001). Most critically, the policy strongly predicts high employee Turnover Intent (β = 0.617, R² = 0.381, p < 0.001), identifying structural ageism as a major catalyst for talent flight. The research concludes that institutionalized age limits violate the tenets of Organizational Justice and Social Exchange Theory by creating procedural unfairness and triggering a severe Psychological Contract Breach. Policy recommendations emphasize the urgent removal of age-based restrictions and the institutionalization of transparent, merit-based career advancement criteria to stabilize the banking sector workforce.