Key facts
- A BBC poll shows 1 in 10 UK workers feel anxious about their accent in professional settings.
- Geordie and East London (Cockney) accents reported the highest anxiety (19%), followed by Welsh (18%).
- 5% of respondents believe their accent has negatively impacted promotion or pay rise opportunities.
- Birmingham (Brummie) accents were most associated with perceived career disadvantages.
- West Country and Geordie accents were most frequently mocked by colleagues.
- 13% of Britons admitted to altering their speech to sound more professional.
Many individuals in the UK experience anxiety and self-consciousness regarding their accents in professional environments, with some believing it has hindered their career progression. A survey conducted by More in Common among over 3,300 adults found that one in ten people feel anxious about their accent in high-stakes professional settings like business meetings.
The research highlighted that accent-related anxiety was most prevalent among those with Geordie (Newcastle) and East London (Cockney) accents, at 19%, followed by individuals with a Welsh accent at 18%. Approximately 5% of respondents felt their accent had cost them a promotion, pay rise, or senior role, with 'Brummies' (from Birmingham) being the most likely to report this, at 13%.
Furthermore, respondents with West Country accents reported the highest rate of having their accent mocked or criticised by colleagues (15%), with Geordie accents following at 13%. Lara Newman, founder of Common Ground, an organisation aiming to support disadvantaged individuals into work, shared her personal experience of changing her own accent to succeed in industries like construction and property, noting that accents can imply class or educational background.
Martha Powell, from Newport, expressed pride in her Welsh accent but admitted to adapting it when networking to avoid assumptions. The survey also indicated that 13% of Britons have consciously changed their speech to sound more professional, with Cockneys and Scots being more inclined to do so. Benjaimin Aidomoan, who moved to the UK from the Czech Republic four years ago, found his foreign accent made job hunting challenging, though he believes most employers ultimately look beyond accents.
Career experts like Charlotte Davies from LinkedIn suggest that hiring is increasingly focused on skills rather than background, viewing accents as a potential strength. Sian Jackson, a partner at law firm Mills & Reeve, stated that her company is actively promoting diversity in accents through local hiring initiatives and scrutinising candidates based on capability rather than accent or appearance, acknowledging that progress on accent bias lags behind other diversity metrics.