“It rarely happens as an overt insult”
Paul Jackson
Director of EMEA Channel, Foxit Europe
Is the IT channel overlooking older talent?
Yes, because the channel is currently suffering from a dangerous case of “innovation bias”. We are so fixated on hiring for the next digital skill set that we are actively eroding the industry knowledge that keeps our businesses profitable. The conversation shouldn’t be about age – it should be about complementary intelligence.
If you have a team of only twenty-somethings, you have incredible speed, but you lack the battle-tested resilience required to navigate a high-stakes, multi-year channel negotiation. Conversely, a team of only “veterans” risks stagnation. When we overlook experienced professionals, we lose the “grey matter” that understands why certain partnership models fail and how to build trust that lasts decades, not quarters.
Have you personally witnessed any examples of ageism in the industry? If so, can you say what happened?
It rarely happens as an overt insult; instead, it is disguised as a bias toward “digital natives” or “cultural fit.” I’ve seen seasoned professionals with brilliant track records get passed over for strategic roles because a hiring manager assumed they “won’t understand modern SaaS” or “won’t keep up with the pace”.
It’s a bizarre assumption. Modern software is designed to be intuitive – a 60-year-old can learn a new platform or an AI tool in an afternoon. What you can’t fast-track or learn in an afternoon is the deep emotional intelligence required to manage a complex, cross-border distribution network through an economic downturn.
The tech industry has been experiencing mass layoffs since mid-2023, leading to lots of older, experienced staff entering the jobs market. What’s your advice to them?
My advice is simple: Don’t sell your history on your CV; sell your ability to de-risk the future.
When you enter a market full of younger, cheaper talent, your competitive advantage isn’t that you’ve been doing this for thirty years – it’s that you know where the landmines are hidden. Frame your experience around business continuity, margin protection, and relationship retention. Show that you aren’t afraid of new tech; rather, show that you know how to wrap that new tech in a commercial strategy that actually closes. As I like to say, the flashiest new software still relies on the oldest relationships to get the deal signed.
What’s Foxit’s policy on ensuring older applicants have an opportunity, and do you have top tips for best practice?
At Foxit, we don’t look for “old” or “young” talent; we look for integrated, multi-generational teams. Our approach is built on the belief that mentorship is a two-way street.
My top tip for best practice is to deliberately pair your high-potential juniors with your high-experience seniors. In our most effective teams, the digital native teaches the veteran how to leverage AI-driven sales prospecting, while the veteran teaches the younger hire how to read the room during a tense board-level negotiation. If you aren’t actively building these multi-generational bridges, you aren’t just missing out on inclusivity – you’re leaving money on the table.
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