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 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at British Council?

62% 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, 3.7 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 (45) , 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 172 reviews)); "Good work life balance and focus on employee well being" ((in 121 reviews)); "Great people to work with and for." ((in 112 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 62 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 200 reviews)); "Low pay and insanely bureaucratic" ((in 119 reviews)); "But yes Management is Poor and Biased !" ((in 100 reviews)); "there was poor organisation and leadership" ((in 34 reviews)); "This permeates across different offices and countries too as the managers have very often mixed a lot in past roles." ((in 31 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

62% would recommend to a friend

(2,312 total reviews)

Ciarán Devane

57% approve of CEO

43% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (2,312 reviews)

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

British Council has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,312 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

May 9, 2017

HR Coordinator

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

organizational culture focused on employees, learning opportunities, atmosphere

Cons

no clear career path, low salaries

2.0

Apr 15, 2017

English Teacher

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Get to meet some good people.

Cons

In terms of international teaching oppprtunities / very much an old guard vs. new guard mentality. A lot of employees at managerial level bringing egos and insecurities to the workplace and abusing positions of power. Middle managers are over-worked. Good employees leave.

3.0

Jan 3, 2017

British Council

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Strong purpose, great heritage, some amazing areas of impact

Cons

Poor senior leadership, culture of entitlement amongst UK staff, resistance to change

Viewing 271 - 273 of 2,312 Reviews

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Jobs at British Council

E+ Customer Service Manager

Language Learning Project Officer

Service Enablement Co-ordinator - HE

London, England

View job

Erasmus + Single Point of Contact(Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland)