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 173 reviews)); "Good work life balance and exposure to the market." ((in 124 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 117 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 67 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 63 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 207 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 120 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 101 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 29 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

(2,307 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 2,307 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

Jul 30, 2014

Variety

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good ethos - changing people's lives for the better by extending educational and cultural exchange opportunities. Overseas, work-life balance is difficult. But rewarding work if you can get the right job within the organisation, and challenging and varied.

Cons

Lip service paid to training. Pay comparatively low - org survives & thrives on the commitment and discretionary work of its staff. Hard to speak out in a culture of positivism and perception that job opportunities are divvied out to the compliant rather than the deserving. Can be a bit precious English middle class in some parts.

4.0

Jun 6, 2014

adaptable,

Programmer officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

open, good people, in most posts you can convince yourself you are doing something positive in the world in creating relationships and dialogue where it would otherwise be difficult.

Cons

constant cuts and restructuring, you may have to apply for your own job

3.0

May 27, 2014

Freelancer

Freelancer(invigilator and usher)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good Freelancer payscale, Flexible work environment

Cons

High Attrition Ratio Unprofessionalism No Growth Chart

Viewing 2239 - 2241 of 2,307 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

Designer

India

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Executive Exams Operations

Customer Success Coordinator

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Executive - Business Process Services, English & Exams

Executive - Operations