41061 Unite AR22 HI-RES WEB-READY - Flipbook - Page 104
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THE UNITE GROUP PLC | Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
BOARD LEADERSHIP AND PURPOSE continued
How the Board operates and
stakeholder engagement
The Board has an annual operating rhythm with an
agenda of items for the forthcoming year built around
our strategic objectives. The Board’s meetings are split
between strategy (considered in light of principal and
emerging risks, opportunities and the approval of specific
investments above certain thresholds, as well as ESG
and longer-term sustainability) and routine operational,
property and financial updates (providing context for the
strategic discussions as well as governance oversight of inyear activity).
Meetings usually take place throughout the UK or in
our operating cities and enable the Board to meet
employees and learn about their experiences with Unite.
Meetings resumed in person this year with the flexibility
of hybrid meetings to allow for increased participation
from across the business, including senior leaders who
are regularly invited to attend meetings and present to the
Workforce engagement and the role of our
Designated Non-Executive Director
The Board has designated one of its Non-Executive
Directors (Ilaria del Beato) to help ensure the views and
concerns of the workforce are brought to the Board and
taken into account following the framework of “listen,
reflect and represent”. The Board chose Ilaria since she
is a CEO at a real estate group and thus well placed to
understand current challenges faced by employees.
Ilaria is also a member of our Sustainability Committee
which covers ESG, including social impact, as part of
its remit.
Board. These meetings provide the Board, and in particular
the Non-Executive Directors, with direct and open access to
leaders throughout the Group and helps build a culture of
openness and directness. In addition, external experts are
also invited to present to the Board (such as university ViceChancellors, institutional investors and property valuers) to
give the Directors a broader and independent perspective
and to increase knowledge and development.
Stakeholder engagement on pages 66–68 explains how
the Board engages and measures the views of our key
stakeholders and the outcomes from this engagement.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Stakeholder engagement on pages 66–68
Wellbeing strategy on page 50
Positive Impact programme on page 10
Remuneration Committee on pages 131–163
Her role includes:
•
•
attending the Culture Matters forum;
•
soliciting the views of employees on remuneration
structures and processes across the Group;
•
collaborating with our Group People Director, the
Senior Belonging, Equity and Engagement Manager
and the wider People team who also hear the views
of the workforce directly; and
•
providing feedback to the Board on people concerns
and the results of surveys and other liaison.
monitoring our employee engagement surveys
and actions arising;
By attending the Culture Matters forum and engaging
with people across our organisation, Ilaria is able to:
•
understand the concerns of the workforce and share
these at Board meetings;
•
ensure the Board, and in particular the Executive
Directors, take appropriate steps to evaluate the
impact of proposals and developments on the
workforce and consider what steps should be
taken to mitigate any adverse impact; and
•
ensure plans are fed back to the workforce.
This chosen engagement mechanism continues to
be the subject of feedback from the workforce in
determining that it is an appropriate and effective
mechanism for engagement and is included in the
annual agenda of the Culture Matters forum.
