Georgia Healthcare Group PLC Annual Report 2018 Governance Nomination Committee Report continued Board Diversity Policy and Company Diversity Policy The Company is fully committed to ensuring there is no unlawful or unfair discrimination, and it values the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. The Board embraces diversity in all its forms as reflected in its Diversity Policy, described in this section. Diversity of skills, background, technical expertise, nationality, ethnicity and gender, amongst other factors, will be taken into consideration when seeking to appoint a new Director to the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Board appointment will always be made based on merit. As a Committee, we are entirely committed to the principles of equality and diversity, the value that a diverse range of experiences and perspectives can bring to organisations and to decision-making, and are committed to promoting diversity in all its forms across the Group. A focal area for us in 2019 will be to ensure that our diversity policies at both Board and organisational level continue to reflect that commitment. All employees The recruitment and selection process is a crucial step in the implementation of our Diversity Policy, described in this section. We endeavour, through appropriate training, to ensure that employees making selection and recruitment decisions will not discriminate, whether consciously or unconsciously, in making these decisions. All employees involved in the recruitment process will periodically review their selection criteria to ensure that they are related to the job requirements and do not unlawfully discriminate. Our Diversity Policy states that job descriptions are to be aligned with the policy and job requirements will be reflected accurately in any personnel specifications. Further it states the Company adopts a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of vacancies. All applicants who apply for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered solely on their ability to do the job. Shortlisting and interviewing are to be carried out by more than one person where possible. Interview questions are to be related to the requirements of the job and will not be of a discriminatory nature. Development programmes and all promotions will be in line with this policy. Promotion and development are to be made on merit and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy. In 2018, the Company ran a Leadership Programme for mid-level management, focused on developing and strengthening the pipeline of future leaders in the Group. The Committee is pleased to note that 59% of the participants on this programme were female. Board and Committee effectiveness review As per previous years, the Committee facilitated the evaluations of the Board and our Committees. For further details on the methodology of the evaluation, please read our Corporate Governance Statement. The evaluation was undertaken by an external assessor, allowing for reflection on progress against the 2017 review, whilst also helping the Board and Committees to consider priorities for 2019. The outcomes of the 2017 Board and Committee evaluation were used, alongside the Board and Committee skills matrix, in determining some of our Board and Committee succession priorities this year. The evaluation was primarily undertaken via questionnaire, with the evaluator having full access to the Board and to individual Directors. The areas of focus for the Board and Committee effectiveness review were determined by the Chair of the Nomination Committee in conjunction with the Board Chairman and Chairmen of the other Committees. The Directors’ Governance Statement (pages 66 to 70) includes a summary of the outcomes of the Board evaluation and the actions to be taken as a result of the evaluation. The evaluation of the Nomination Committee principally addressed how effectively the Committee reviews the composition of the Board and the Board Committees as well as how well it develops and implements succession plans for both the Board and executive management. The evaluation concluded that the Committee continues to operate and perform effectively. Looking ahead to 2019 In the coming year the Nomination Committee will focus on the following areas, taking into account changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code: • succession planning below senior management level, including promotion of initiatives designed to improve Board visibility of talent below senior management level; • organisational culture and the ways in which management are actively promoting a healthy and successful corporate culture; and • long-term Board succession planning, and alignment with the Group strategy process. I look forward to reporting the progress made by the Committee in next year’s Nomination Committee report. 88