About US

As all who are involved in management know, any executive appointment, especially of a candidate from outside the company, is not simply a matter of locating someone who seems to fit and slotting that person in. The filling of a vacancy at executive level often necessitates an examination of the company's management style and character, the organisation, remuneration patterns and a variety of other factors which concern the well-being of the enterprise to determine whether a particular individual will be suitable or not.

Lucid was established as a division of Gardiner Morgan International, a leading Executive Search firm started in London in 1978 by Don Gardiner and Joe Morgan to provide companies, both in the UK and internationally, with services of the same professional standing that they formerly provided within the large groups in which they have been Directors of Personnel. 

Matthew Gardiner is one of director's of Lucid and worked alongside his father at GMI for 8 years  providing the same broad services to client companies. Matthew is also a member of the CIPD and recently completed his HR Management Level 5 studies and commences Level 7 late 2020. 

As the executive search and selection arm, Lucid has long standing experience of conducting Executive Search for senior, specialist and confidential positions across a wide range of business functions and sectors.

The methods used depend on the nature of the appointment and the circumstances of the organisation.

We do not specialise in our executive appointment activities and with our broad experience we are able to deal with a range of jobs in industry.  

Search methods are employed where the appointment is an exceptional one, where the field may be restricted to a few suitable people, where candidates may not easily be found through other search methods or where there is a particular need for security. 

Senior executives can sometimes also be effectively recruited through other strategies, particularly where the situation is more open or a wider field of persons is to be considered.   

In each case initial discussions are held to determine the nature of the assignment and to ascertain all the parameters of the role. A detailed assignment specification is then agreed with the client.  

In the case of search, research methods are used to identify individuals who meet the client's requirements; and in the case of selection through advertising the type of advertisement and media to be used is carefully studied before recommendations are made.   

In summary, the process entails a briefing to determine client requirements, the preparation of a candidate specification, research to identify sources and suitable candidates, the fine tuning of search through consultation with the client about targeting organisations and people, discussions with candidates to create a quality short-list, the submission of comprehensive assessments of candidate suitability and career profiles, advising on remuneration and negotiation with candidates and the checking of their background and reputation.   

Our specific objectives are:-  

1. To tackle an assignment of any kind, large or small, in the UK or overseas, bringing to bear our wide international hr management experience. 

2. To provide Chief Executives with a personalised service which will be based upon gaining a thorough understanding of the client's business and with the aim of building up a longer term relationship if this is the client's wish. 

3. To deal with assignments quickly, with care and efficiency.

Our recruitment channels fall into flexible categories including Search, Advertised Campaigns, Database Search and Web Based, but we know that recruitment isn’t one-size fits all, so we don’t rely on these methods; instead we use a combination of 'strategic and creative approaches' to extend our reach beyond the obvious talent pool, so ensuring value and often outperforming our competitors in the eyes of hiring companies. 

Employing comprehensive research allows clients to benefit from individuals that not only match their criteria but, at a time where agencies share the same database, many are exclusive to Lucid only.

Mapping the best talent

Our talent mapping is undertaken by engaging directly with market professionals. Instead of relying on LinkedIn or other social media sites, we speak in complete confidence to the very people our customers are looking to identify.

When it comes to hiring top-quality talent, the best companies are pre-emptive in terms of planning, strategy development, searching, screening and evaluation and control. Instead of waiting for a vacancy to occur, we are constantly looking to update hiring managers with information about the best candidates in the market in terms of who they are, where they work and how much they cost.   

Succession Planning

The best companies build from a position of strength. They are constantly questioning themselves, aligning HR activities with their long-term strategic objectives. In other words, the aim is to ensure that at any time an organisation has sufficient numbers of people with the ability, knowledge, personal attributes and experience necessary to step in to senior roles when they become vacant. 

Lucid work with their clients usually on a bi-annual basis to provide visibility of the best professionals across a range of disciplines and skill-sets and without obligation, maintain low-level discussions between our clients and these possible future hires.

The process is to ascertain potential future vacancies; to determine hard/soft successor qualities, timescales and level of confidentiality. To identify potential candidates, engage with them to assess quality and understand their short and long-term plans and depending on circumstances introduce company name and plans.

Beyond this point naturally includes meeting/interviewing potential candidates and providing client with comprehensive report. 

‘Warm’  Talent Pool

To fuel growth for our clients, firstly, we look to identify organizations future external and internal talent with the required skills, capabilities, motivation, and knowledge of the organisation and its culture. We nurture relationships with potential talent and keep them warm and engaged especially with passive to ensure the most successful means of hiring when roles come up. 

Hiring for ‘Soft Skills’

In the midst of a national skills shortage that’s predicted to continue to grow, the bulk of these missing skills will be soft skills, with two-thirds of jobs created between now and then expected to be strongly reliant on skills like communication and empathy. To address this, we find ourselves  being increasingly instructed to shift our focus to hire for the ability to adapt to changing roles in flexible organisational structures.

As the workplace, roles and technology continue to evolve quickly, we are often looking for people who can adapt quickly to the changing face of technology and rapid economic shifts. Hiring for soft skills like the ability to innovate, be agile, communicate, and collaborate, is essentially hiring for the ability to change and adapt. Niche specializations can now been construed as inflexible and therefore people may not have the skills to adapt or change. The foremost employable skill sets are now commonly often linked with creativity, imagination, intuition, and curiosity.

Social Media and Job Boards

Lucid utilise an assortment of on-line job boards and social media strategies for identifying skilled professionals in the field and establishing a connection. The priority is to recognise that each social media has its purpose and therefore a targeted recruitment campaign using LinkedIn will be different from Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, but there are numerous other platforms hence the importance to understand the benefits and specifics of each to figure out which profiles get the highest level of engagement.

We have found by invested extensively in sites such as LinkedIn and participating in the various groups allows us to interact with a large number of specialised communities that attract experts in specific fields, therefore making it much easier to identify both top talent and influencers. Such information can be invaluable when it comes to attracting the right professionals in a highly competitive niche. We also publish articles on a topic of interest and link it to our recruitment efforts.Our priority is to ensure to build a quality online presence, focus on our profiles and the professional content they feature. 

We believe the key is to use these to complement our traditional recruitment methods. With the right understanding, an extremely effective and proactive campaign can be created allowing for a fast, efficient and cost effective process. 

‘Customer advice for own social media campaigns’ 

To stress the importance for the effective presentation of corporate values; ensure that the brands stands out and has the ability to make an emotional connection; to connect with the right people through keeping the profiles industry specific, use live video streaming to engage with an audience of passive candidates and professionals in their industry; making sure that job hashtags carries uniqueness and is also brand relevant; consider adding Instagram to the mix to appeal to millennials and their different needs and preferences; maxamise the reach and spreading the message among the employees by sharing a recruitment ad or publication via their individual social media profiles; consider using a paid social media campaign for maximum reach; use multiple techniques to keep potential candidates engaged including video calls and sharing useful content and lastly, check on candidate background through social media.     

Lucid is proud to share some great stories how of how we helped to turn customers in to loyal ones.. 

I initially responded to Matthew Gardiner and Lucid's introduction which included a few client references. Due to the high praise, I took the unusual step of inviting Matthew in to see me. 

In an age which we can be inundated with calls, it was an exception for me to do this. Matthew's approach was very pragmatic and he made it his business to understand as much as was possible technically and environmentally about the role I asked him to fill. He ensured the he had his facts right so that the candidates he interviewed in the first instance were already of a suitable calibre. His selection  for the first interview with myself meant that we found the right person for the job after only the second interview, which was astounding. He had narrowed his own selection down to five candidates for a senior technical role and was true to his promise of service delivery.

Recruitment for technical roles can be extremely time consuming and the three hours I spent in total with Matthew paid off handsomely in his return of an ideal candidate. His approach is knowledgeable and professional and he understands I.T in sufficient depth to provide a high quality of service. 

IT Director, Kennedys Law Firm

We have been working closely with Lucid for the last 8 years during which time Matthew has provided us with an excellent and reliable recruitment and hr service.

Matthew has worked with and provided successful candidates for a cross section of staff from Accountants, Managers, EU President, Managing Director to the CEO.   

The candidates provided have covered a range of departments both domestically and internationally for Finance, Marketing, Sales, Export, New Product Development. These roles range from Director to support level.

The benefit of working with Lucid and Matthew for the last 5 years is that he understands our business and in particular the changing landscape that we often face and the way he adapts through ongoing knowledge of the industry as well as our company. This we feel, leads to a bespoke service that is tailored to our specific company needs. 

We have found that through our excellent working relationship with Lucid, we are able to recruit quickly with the right calibre of candidates being sent through with honest and in depth pre-interview notes personally provided by Matthew. These notes and opinions are invaluable to us and save time on our resource on the whole recruitment process. 

HR Director | Global Healthcare Retail 

Matthew has been working with us onsite on the recommendation of a business partner. As a generalist recruitment and hr advisor, he was useful to our partner for more than 3 years in finding suitable candidates for a whole range of business functions. 

Fortunately for Star, we have had a similar positive relationship with Matthew, who has helped us fill vacancies in our fast-moving IT software and solutions business. He has also been a reliable and considerate onsite resource and his friendly and personable nature will be greatly missed at Star.

Financial Director | Star Computer Group PLC  

I have used Matthew's services on many occasions, initially in a previous role with an international law firm and more recently with Permira Advisers, a private equity firm. He provides a consistently good and reliable service and ensures that he has all the information he requires in order to source the right candidates. His knowledge of IT means that he always asks the right questions. 

Matthew is very thorough in in obtaining full references for his candidates whether they are short term contract or permanent roles. His candidates have proven to be excellent choices. 

I would have no hesitation in recommending Lucid's services to any company seeking a reliable and high quality IT recruitment services. 

IT Director | Permira Advisors Limited

The Current Science Group have been working with Matthew for 8 years during which time Lucid has provided an excellent service. 

Whenever myself or one of my managers has worked with Matthew, we have always seen him as an extra member of our team, through providing an excellent account manager service.  Matthew takes time to know and understand our needs, including the current skills and personality requirements we require in our new hire. Matthew works hard to help us build up the right team dynamics and has an excellent understanding of our company culture, ensuring the candidates will be an appropriate fit. 

We have found that through our excellent working relationship with Lucid, we are able to recruit staff quickly and easily with excellent high calibre candidates being sent through with honest and in depth pre-interview notes personally provided by Matthew.

CSG has also been very impressed with the range of services offered by Lucid as they have been able to fill vacancies in our Development, IT, Sales, HR and Facilities teams. These vacancies have been for both permanent members of staff and contractors. 

Finally, we have always found Lucid's rates to be very competitive. 

Group HR Director | The Current Science Group (Science Navigation Group)

I have known Matthew for a number of years and he has worked with me on a number of important recruitment projects to recruit staff at all levels in IT within the Legal sector.  Matthew has always taken the trouble to discuss candidates suitability from all angles to ensure they are not only technically sound but they would fit in with the existing teams. I can safely say that they are always of the right calibre. 

We have also worked exclusively with Matthew for agreed period. All of the CV's  received would on paper match the exact criteria that was specified. It was then over to Matthew to provide technical and personal references and to conduct first level face to face interviews.   

Knowing how personally Matthew takes his reputation in the business, I know that he would not submit any candidates who he had not met personally or those who would not meet his high standards. 

Head of  IT | Eversheds Law Firm 

The purpose of this open letter is to acknowledge the contribution of Matthew and Lucid to the growth and development of the team over the last 4 years.   

Matthew acted as our account manager in the supply of IT Staff. This included all levels from high skilled Network and IT Managers through to technical support staff.  After one year, we were sufficiently pleased with the consistent high calibre of the personnel supplied that we struck up a strategic relationship with their company as a sole agency. 

It is worth noting that a number of placements remained with us for many years.

Director of Information and Clinical Effectiveness | Bournewood Community and Mental Health NHS Trust 

Matthew Gardiner, the principle of Lucid Search International provided our company with a very professional and trusted in-house/outsourcing general recruitment service for 3 years.

Because of the quality of his references, we asked Matthew to join us on the premises. Since then, we haven’t looked back and have always seen him as part of our team, providing an excellent service. He has been versatile in meeting our needs and has always taken the time understand our business, including the culture, personal skills and personality requirements. He worked hard in helping us build up the team dynamics and quickly gained a good understanding of our company style, to ensure new hires were the best possible fit, introduced at a competitive rate.

Managing Director | Vantage HR Software   

I first encountered Matthew at the time he provided Milton Keynes Council with Contract IT technical resources. I continued to utilise the services of Matthew until I left Milton Keynes Council, throughout my association he has always strived to provide me with quality personnel, who have all been personally vetted and checked by Matthew, he is particularly excellent at resourcing large scale projects where the requirements are disparate, he has always been able to provide candidates at very short notice  without compromising standards. 

Many of the contract resources provided have gone on to permanent employment with the original employer and many have become personal friends, this says a great deal about Matthew and the type of individuals he has been able to provide over the years, the candidates are always been reliable, personable, hardworking and honest, are in possession of the correct skill sets (this is down to Matthew impeccable judgement) and provide much needed strengths when required. 

I would recommend not just Lucid but Matthew Gardiner; as regardless of the name on the door the quality of what a company can provide always rests with the staff within & in Matthew’s case that means excellence, continuity, resourcefulness & dedication. 

Information Strategy Manager | Milton Keynes and Westminster City Council