employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

British Council

Is this your company?

British Council reviews

3.6

61% would recommend to a friend

(2,315 total reviews)
avatar

Ciarán Devane

56% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

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
Apr 20, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The work I do is interesting and varied. There are opportunities to get involved in lots of different projects and types of work, including international travel. The organisations objectives and values are focused on making a positive difference in the world. The atmosphere in all the British Council offices I have visited in the UK and abroad was relaxed, friendly and fun. Working in partnership with other organisations also allows you to have experience outside the British Council ‘bubble’. Flexible working helps to facilitate a comfortable work/life balance.

Cons

The wages are low compared to an equivalent position in the private sector. The pace of change is extremely slow in the organisation. Working through different levels of internal bureaucracy can been challenging and frustrating. At times the work-load means you are working at maximum capacity to deliver what you need to. Opportunities to advance to a more senior position can be limited.

3.0
Apr 17, 2018

Employee review

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Online portal with dashboard for login

Cons

Delayed salary, less accountable staff.

3.0
Apr 16, 2018

Still up there but going downhill

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Salary is very good for the EFL field, professional development is excellent too. They're present in places where it's difficult to find good EFL work as well.

Cons

Bureaucracy is a killer. There's a stupendous amount of paperwork to do. Management structures are unflexible, and there is a lot of cronyism. A lot of what you'd expect in a huge multinational. Remuneration and benefits are on the decline, in order to match industry standards.

Viewing 2026 - 2028 of 2,315 Reviews

Glassdoor has 3,235 British Council reviews submitted anonymously by British Council employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if British Council is right for you.