Aberdeenshire Council has been named as the best large council to work for in the UK.
The Council was competing with 94 other UK councils in The Times Best Council to Work For list. Aberdeenshire was also the only Scottish authority to be named in the top 25 of councils in the UK.
Nearly 1,000 Aberdeenshire Council employees completed a survey which asked their opinions on working for the council. This included questions on the council's leadership, the team they worked in, flexible working, personal growth and well being.
Employee's responses were then assessed and all 95 councils were ranked based on these results. Aberdeenshire Council finished in 12th place overall but came out on top when compared to councils of a similar size.
The council also received praise for its management development programme, its leadership development programme and the use of the Kaizen approach to continuous improvement.
After picking up the award, Aberdeenshire Council Chief Executive Alan Campbell said: "This award is an excellent endorsement of the work that we are doing as a council, and it is particularly pleasing that our employees have rated us so highly. To finish ahead of so many other councils from across the UK is a great achievement.
"The award is a major step towards us realising our ambitious vision of being the best council in Scotland. I want to thank all our employees for the hard work and commitment they have shown."
The Best Council to Work For Awards were first introduced in 2007 by Best Companies, the name behind The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For lists, and the Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA).
Source: Aberdeenshire Council, Best Companies
