The rapidly increasing age profile of the UK’s workforce creates both strategic and psychological challenges for employers, for individuals, and for society as a whole. Lyndsey Simpson works across a wide range of industries and sectors to help employers revamp their recruitment and employment practices with regard to older workers. In this episode, Lyndsey is interviewed by Lucy Standing who, as a co-founder of Brave Starts, is herself involved in providing research-backed insights and programmes to support late career professionals. Areas covered in the discussion include the post-war retirement construct, which is broken; evidence that the recruitment market discriminates massively against older workers, whose potential is completely underestimated; and the prevalence of attitudes and employment practices which are not conducive to sustaining careers into older life.

Recognising a gap in the market for a brand that answers the call of the ‘bet-your-ass-I-can’ over-50s, Lyndsey Simpson set up 55/Redefined to fly the flag for those who may be getting older but have no intention of slowing down. Previously, Lyndsey was CEO of HR & Recruitment Outsourcer, The Curve Group, before exiting her investment in 2020 and her early career was in Financial Services. Lyndsey also co-owns Copper House Bar & Brasserie and is recognised in the ‘UK’s Top 35 Businesswomen’ by Management Today and The Sunday Times and the ‘UK’s 50 Most Inspirational Female Entrepreneurs’.