Hays, the world's leading specialist in recruitment and workforce solutions, is entering the next phase of its AI-powered workforce transformation, becoming one of the first in its industry to deploy Microsoft 365 E7 capabilities, as part of a broader strategy to help reshape how recruitment and workforce solutions are delivered.
Building on its existing use of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the investment will give over 8,000 Hays employees globally access to a broader range of enterprise-grade Microsoft AI capabilities, including AI agents, Copilot Studio capabilities, enhanced governance and security controls, and other AI innovation tools.
Hays has been using Microsoft Copilot for several years. The latest rollout represents the next phase of that journey, moving from established AI usage to broader access to advanced enterprise-grade capabilities.
The deployment forms part of Hays’ broader technology and AI strategy, which is focused on equipping colleagues with secure, scalable tools, embedding responsible AI practices, and developing new ways to enhance the experience of customers, candidates and employees.
By embedding AI into everyday workflows, Hays aims to improve response times, strengthen consultant preparation, provide richer market insight for clients and free up more time for advisory conversations with customers and candidates. Through this expansion of AI capability, Hays remains committed to the transparent, fair and ethical use of AI in recruitment, ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to reduce bias, protect personal data and ensure meaningful human oversight, in line with Hays' governance requirements and applicable regulations.
The investment marks a significant step in Hays’ commitment to help employees reduce time spent on administrative tasks, enhance productivity and focus more of their efforts on activities that create value for customers and candidates. This collaboration with Microsoft enables Hays to bring AI into the tools colleagues already use every day, while deploying it within a secure, governed enterprise environment that supports responsible use at scale.
The global rollout began at the beginning of July 2026 and was completed across all regions by mid-July, with up to 1,000 users onboarded each day. Early proof-of-value results also showed clear productivity benefits, with 77% of 1,000 participants reporting saving more than one hour per week.
Mark Dearnley, Chief Executive Officer at Hays, said:
“The recruitment industry has entered a new phase, where the companies that succeed will be those that combine trusted human expertise with the intelligent use of technology at scale.
“AI will not replace the human skills that sit at the heart of great recruitment; it will strengthen them. By combining the speed, insight and efficiency of AI with our people’s knowledge, judgement and relationships, we can deliver more meaningful support and even greater value for customers and candidates.
“This investment reflects our commitment to innovation and to preparing our workforce for the future, while ensuring AI is deployed in a responsible, secure and governed way.”
Theo Michalopoulos, Enterprise Commercial Lead at Microsoft UK, said:
“Hays is demonstrating how AI can be deployed securely and responsibly across a global workforce. By embedding Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI agents into the tools employees use every day, Hays is creating a strong foundation to help its people work more efficiently, unlock new value, and reimagine how recruitment services are delivered. With governance and trust built in from the outset, it is a great example of a Frontier approach accelerating AI adoption at scale.”
As adoption grows, Hays will continue working with Microsoft to build on this momentum and explore new ways AI can help colleagues work more efficiently and shape the future of recruitment responsibly.