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EF (Education First)

Engaged Employer

Great Potential but Poorly Managed - Anonymous employee EF (Education First) Employee Review

1.0
Dec 21, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Annual group tour opportunity -Generous PTO compared to industry standards -Previously offered hybrid work options, which were valued by many employees -No previous job experience needed

Cons

-Below-market compensation: Salaries do not meet minimum living standards, particularly for Toronto. -High turnover: Frequent firings and ongoing departures create instability, loss of institutional knowledge, and constant workload redistribution across remaining staff. -Ineffective management and lack of leadership accountability: Management often prioritize task coordination over actual leadership. While administrative duties like approving PTO or running meetings are handled, essential leadership responsibilities like conflict resolution, performance management, and addressing team tension early are consistently avoided. Conflict avoidance is framed as “keeping the peace,” but in practice it creates poor team environments. When managers refuse to intervene, authority is effectively handed to the loudest, most disruptive, or most entitled individuals. This dynamic allows poor behavior to go unchecked and undermines team morale and trust. Passive leadership is not neutral, it shows approval. When managers choose not to act, the team bears the consequences. Over time, this drives out high-performing employees while rewarding those who create the most disruption.

Explore other reviews about EF (Education First)

5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good training, good communication especially for a remote position, flexible, great management

Cons

Scheduling and staffing effectively could be challenging due to unpredictable nature of emergency response, which caused both understaffed shifts and overstaffed shifts. In addition, phone-based customer service can be emotionally challenging - customers in stressful situations can often be difficult to deal with.

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EF (Education First) Response
2mo
Hearing that the training, communication, and management stood out, especially in a remote setting, is really meaningful. Thank you for sharing! As you mentioned, the nature of emergency response is inherently unpredictable. Our phone-based support in high stress situations can be central to defining the experience for travelers, and the people who handle it are a big part of that. We’re proud of the team you were part of and hope the skills you built here continue to serve you well.
4.0
Jun 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get to choose your tour and recruit the students you want to bring. The paid chaperone ratio is 6:1, so it is very manageable. The tours are great and the local experts are wonderful.

Cons

Company support is variable. There is high turnover and new consultants are very sales motivated and don't always get the nuances of your school or community group. I have had some WONDERFUL concusltants, but they have always been promoted before I get to work with them again.

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