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?

"Great people to work with and for." ((in 118 reviews)); "Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 116 reviews)); "Great working environment and friendly" ((in 70 reviews)); "It's just a shame that the good culture was destroyed by bad organisational management." ((in 66 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))

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 110 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 105 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 33 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

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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

4.0

Apr 27, 2014

Mixed. Good offers and policies on paper, bad at implementing especially in regions. Good travel opportunity

Regional m&e manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Travel internationally. Stay in best hotels. Be part of visible change impacting decrease in poverty. Great learning opportunities

Cons

Poor renumeration. Bad country director leadership. Panicky as they've run out of ideas on projects and can't give accountability to DFID not home office.

4.0

Apr 1, 2014

Satisfied

Invigilator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible hours, decent payment, good work environment

Cons

no transportation facility, need to be more organized

4.0

Mar 26, 2014

Inclusive environment, but poor internal progression

Human resources

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Friendly, international work environment with an emphasis on open communication and inclusiveness, has great staff benefits and supports employees in both professional and personal development. Internal courses open to staff for free/at discounted rates. Regional teams foster regular sharing of best practices and help synergise efforts (some teams more effective than others). Environmentally-conscious.

Cons

Pays well below market for non-teaching roles (especially if you are non-revenue generating), particularly in support departments. Poor prospects for internal progression (no internal promotions), though lateral transfers are possible. Not attractive for young executives looking for quick career growth. If you're not moving up after 2-3 years, move out, or you may find yourself stuck.

Viewing 2245 - 2247 of 2,307 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

Executive Exams Operations

Customer Success Coordinator

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Executive - Operations