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      The Open University

      Engaged employer

      The Open University Reviews

      3.7

      64% would recommend to a friend

      (695 total reviews)
      avatar

      Dave Phoenix

      50% approve of CEO

      39% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.2

      Work/Life balance

      4.1

      Diversity and inclusion

      3.7

      Culture and values

      3.4

      Compensation and benefits

      3.0

      Senior management

      3.0

      Career opportunities

      The Open University has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 695 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The Open University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      695 reviews
      4.0
      22 Nov 2025

      Good organisation to work for

      Associate lecturer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Flexible hours. Free education. Organisation has a great social ethos: second chance in higher education

      Cons

      They don't always do change management and communication well. Redundancies are happening in many areas as money is tight.

      1.0
      16 Dec 2015

      Untrained is the way

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Now there is a question, ARE THERE ANY! Yes they give good holidays, oh dear I really cant think of any more.

      Cons

      To many to list. including management bullying. underhand tactics. The current interview system sees people promoted with no qualifications or training and it stays that way. Its a big case of if your face does not fit then you do not get anywhere. The harder you work the less respect you get and the more qualified you are the bigger the bin they go in. HR policies do not fit with current law and they will back anyone up that has manager in their title even if they are the biggest screw up known to man. Which is very strange considering the amount of law courses they offer. No so much a case of practice what you preach more a case of do what we please.

      1.0
      17 Jan 2017

      A terrible employer - the OU is on the decline

      Student services
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      This used to be a great company to work for but all the Pros have gone. Most staff are looking to leave because of the changes and the OU is running itself out of business!

      Cons

      There are NO career progression opportunities anymore. Annual "staff satisfaction" survey results get worse year on year. A very arrogant, draconian management culture that imposes bad decision making and refuses to listen to staff who actually do the job and could recommend an enhanced way of working. Lots of downgrading of jobs, increased workload and 6 day work-shift patterns which is resulting in a massive turnover of staff. The OU is in the process of closing 8 Regional Centres across England making approx 1000 knowledgeable staff redundant. At this rate the OU will go out of business over the coming years.

      Viewing 1 - 3 of 695 Reviews
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      ReviewsThe Open University reviews

      Glassdoor has 847 The Open University reviews submitted anonymously by The Open University employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if The Open University is right for you.