16.06.25

Success Story: AI Adoption into a Global SaaS Business

Success Story: Placing a Head of Digital Workplace to Lead AI Transformation Across a Global SaaS Organisation

At dcoded, we don’t just match CVs to job descriptions — we partner with businesses to understand their evolving needs and deliver hiring solutions that drive meaningful change. This story demonstrates how we successfully placed a Head of Digital Workplace to spearhead the rollout and optimisation of AI technologies across an enterprise environment - with just 4 CVs sent, 4 interviews, 1 offer, and 1 acceptance, all in under 15 days.

The Challenge
A brand new We Are Dcoded client (a global SaaS organisation, were undergoing a significant digital transformation), initially reached out to discuss their future workplace strategy. With rapid developments in AI - particularly generative AI - they saw a clear need to rethink how their people, platforms, and processes aligned.
They had already started experimenting with AI tools in isolated teams, but adoption was inconsistent, and the lack of a centralised strategy meant lost efficiency and increased risk. They needed someone to not only lead the implementation of AI tools but also to embed a culture of continuous digital improvement, focused on employee experience and productivity.

While they were initially considering a Technology Change Lead or Enterprise Architect, after a strategic consultation, we recommended a Head of Digital Workplace - a role uniquely positioned to align tech, people, and process in a cohesive AI-first strategy.

The revised brief required:
•    Proven leadership of digital workplace and AI-led transformation programmes.
•    A track record of embedding emerging tech at scale while maintaining user-first thinking.
•    Expertise in stakeholder engagement, change management, and governance.
•    A deep understanding of Microsoft 365, automation, and generative AI capabilities.
•    The ability to operate cross-functionally across IT, HR, Operations, and Executive teams.
•    Leading People and Teams
•    Local / Willingness to be onsite 2-3 days a week in Manchester

The Process

1. Shaping the Brief
Through a face-to-face consultation with the Platform Director, Recruitment Manager & Head of People, we helped the client shift their thinking from technical implementation to organisational transformation.
Rather than ask “Who do you need?”, we explored “What are the friction points, and where is time and value being lost today?”
This reframing uncovered the need for a strategic yet delivery-focused leader - someone who could balance modern digital workplace design with the safe and effective use of AI to support and enhance how teams work.

2. Rapid Delivery from a Proven Network
With 12+ years of experience placing digital, cloud, and change leadership talent, we tapped into our trusted network of senior technologists and tech leaders in the North West / Manchester.
We had deep insight into who was available, credible, and proven in similar transformation contexts - and within 1 week, we delivered a shortlist of 4 highly aligned candidates.

All 4 were interviewed. 1 stood out.

3. Expert Vetting & Compliance Management
Our process goes beyond skills matching. Each candidate was assessed on:
•    Transformation Experience: Real-world examples of enterprise-wide AI enablement.
•    Digital Workplace Vision: How they’d define and evolve a future-proof employee experience.
•    Governance & Risk: Awareness of data handling, tool selection, and AI compliance.
•    Influence & Communication: Their ability to bring people with them on a change journey.
•    Leadership & Culture: We wanted to gage the sort of leader they were, and how well they work with / lead others.

The Outcome
Within 15 days, we secured a Head of Digital Workplace with extensive experience in driving AI and automation strategies across large organisations.
Their remit includes:
•    Consolidating shadow AI projects into a cohesive, secure ecosystem.
•    Developing frameworks to evaluate, adopt, and scale AI tools.
•    Partnering with HR and Tech to ensure employee-centric change.
•    Driving education and governance around responsible AI use.
•    Delivering a best in class AI strategy to help enhance efficiencies across the business

Post-Placement Support
Our value doesn’t end with placement. We provided:
•    Onboarding Support: Coordinating cross-functional intros and objective-setting.
•    References: We ensured the candidate provided the information to ensure referencing was complete, in good time
•    Ongoing Feedback Loops: Ensuring the candidate was involved with the senior leadership prior to start, to help assure culture fit and expectations

Conclusion
This hire represents more than a job filled - it’s a strategic inflection point. By understanding the true challenges, reframing the brief, and delivering a highly specialised leader at pace, dcoded enabled our client to move confidently into a new era of AI-powered productivity.

Looking to drive AI adoption across your business? Let’s talk.

We Are Dcoded - and we build the teams shaping tomorrow.