Does British Council pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, British Council employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at British Council. This rating has improved by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at British Council?

61% of British Council employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated British Council 3.7 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at British Council?

English Teacher (162) , English Language Assistant (100) , Teacher (100) , Exam Invigilator (93) , Project Manager (67) , Invigilator (64) , Teaching Assistant (55) , Manager (45) , ESL Teacher (38) , Customer Service Representative (30) , Teacher of English (26) , Language Assistant (25) , IELTS Invigilator (24) , Administrative Assistant (23) , Consultant (23)

What are the pros of working at British Council according to real employee reviews?

"Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 116 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 109 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 74 reviews)); "Entry level internship position gave me something worthwhile to add to my cv and was a good opportunity for some networking." ((in 61 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 60 reviews))

What are the cons of working at British Council according to real employee reviews?

"Salaries are low and you have to work from the office most of the time." ((in 201 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 118 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 104 reviews)); "Those in senior leadership positions tend to serve themselves and their careers ahead of the corporate mission." ((in 33 reviews)); "This permeates across different offices and countries too as the managers have very often mixed a lot in past roles." ((in 31 reviews))

What are employees saying about British Council layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about British Council layoffs and their outlook for job security at British Council in 2026.

British Council reviews

3.6

61% would recommend to a friend

(2,315 total reviews)

Ciarán Devane

56% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (2,315 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

British Council has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 2,315 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The British Council employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Gemeinnützige Organisationen & NGOs industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Nov 5, 2023

Beneficial experience

English assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Make finding a job easy

Cons

Didn't respond to emails or help with complaints with school

3.0

Nov 4, 2023

My experience so far with the British Council

Programmes manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

flexible work arrangements and a good working environment

Cons

Bureaucracy and complex decision-making processes contribute to slowing down initiatives and making it challenging to implement changes quickly. Compensation is not very attractive compared to private sector positions with similar responsibilities.

2.0

Nov 1, 2023

Good experience but not worth it since the takeover

Young learner teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of chances for development if you have free time to give, funded by the company. Good coworkers. Management are available to observe and assist with problems when you ask. Good resources (development books) and fun topics. Long holidays Choose your own housing (though you do often have to supplement it with salary)

Cons

There are very long hours and it's a long process to change the hours (10+ hours on the weekend day). There was also a private health care that didnt cover medical conditions, despite always being told how inclusive they are. I felt that I was undervalued and not given the same opportunities as male co-workers, despite asking about them specifically. Low pay for the hours. Work the red days (but made up for in longer holidays) I had a very tough time collecting my severance and was lied to several times while leaving (pay coming later then told) and problems with the housing and deposit (that they wouldnt help with), that they said they would take from my severance

Viewing 517 - 519 of 2,315 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

People Project Manager

Customer Experience Manager

Edinburgh, Schottland

Proposition Development Coordinator

Senior Programme Manager (UK), Chevening Scholarships

British Council

British Council reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Beneficial experience

My experience so far with the British Council

Good experience but not worth it since the takeover

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

Jobs at British Council