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 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at British Council?

65% 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, 3.8 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 (44) , 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?

"Meaningful and some great colleagues" ((in 179 reviews)); "Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 122 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 111 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 74 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 68 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 208 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 108 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 100 reviews)); "there was poor organisation and leadership" ((in 36 reviews)); "This permeates across different offices and countries too as the managers have very often mixed a lot in past roles." ((in 32 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.

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British Council

British Council reviews

3.7

65% would recommend to a friend

(2,306 total reviews)

Ciarán Devane

63% approve of CEO

46% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

3.8

Culture & values

3.7

Work/Life balance

3.2

Senior management

3.2

Career opportunities

3.1

Compensation and benefits

British Council has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,306 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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

2.0

Sep 11, 2018

loss of all motivation

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The British Council does some very inspirational work across the world The breadth of programmes and offer is astounding People actually believe they are changing the world Pension scheme is very good

Cons

Almost impossible to get any work done due to bureaucracy Very hierarchical Poor communication Zero motivation from all staff The guy at the top of organisation only gets in touch about cakes on birthdays

3.0

May 30, 2018

Good experience

Teacher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-motivated learners -excellent location -great housing

Cons

-dwindling registration -subpar teaching conditions and staff area - often toxic work environment

3.0

Feb 1, 2018

Mixed.

Senior financial analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Wonderful staff around the world who genuinely care about the business. Wonderful team in Manchester. Good holiday (32 days). Flexible working.

Cons

Lack of strategy/vision/direction from global leadership , too heavy a focus on savings through headcount, not enough focus on how to better ourselves as an organisation.

Viewing 61 - 63 of 2,306 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

Executive - Operations

Executive Exams Operations

Customer Success Coordinator

View job