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?

"Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 125 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 118 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 72 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 67 reviews)); "Entry level internship position gave me something worthwhile to add to my cv and was a good opportunity for some networking." ((in 58 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 203 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 119 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 102 reviews)); "Those in senior leadership positions tend to serve themselves and their careers ahead of the corporate mission." ((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

(2,308 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 2,308 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

3.0

Nov 25, 2013

Entrepreneurial charity

Senior project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance in my experience. Good opportunities for lateral movements.Overall a fairly relaxed place to work.

Cons

Low salaries in most cases, and even compared to other British Council offices in other parts of the world; public service rigidities. Very little investment in staff - marketable training is almost non-existent. Big danger you'll be branded as public sector if you spend any significant amount of time here.

4.0

Oct 17, 2013

A great place to work

Project manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I did one year contract at the British Council and enjoyed every minute of it. The people are great, they are friendly and highly motivated and enthusiastic. The management listen to you and are happy to take onboard ideas for improvement.

Cons

Not always easy to get the right people together when you need them for quick decision making, as the heads of departments travel globally frequently and not always accessible directly.

5.0

Jan 4, 2012

The British Council is a great place and I enjoyed working with a diverse group of people on a range on projects

Project officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people The reputation The work/life balance The British Council is a great place to work with a fantastic history. With flexi-time, generous annual leave packages and a range of opportunities for international travel, I would not hesitate to recommend it to people as a place of work.

Cons

Lack of opportunity for involvement in the strategic direction of the organisation and somethimes a distance between senior management and staff.

Viewing 130 - 132 of 2,308 Reviews

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