Why Your Accent Can Still Affect Confidence and Careers in Britain
For many people, the way they speak is simply part of who they are. But new research suggests that accents can still influence how people feel about themselves and how they believe they are perceived in professional environments across Britain.
A survey of more than 3,300 adults in England, Scotland and Wales found that one in 10 people feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent when speaking in high-pressure professional situations, such as business meetings.
The research, conducted by More in Common and commissioned by Common Ground, highlights how accent bias continues to affect confidence in the workplace.
Some Accents Face Greater Pressure
The survey found that accent-related anxiety was particularly high among people with Geordie and east London, or Cockney, accents.
Around 19% of respondents with each of those accents said they felt anxious or self-conscious about the way they spoke in high-stakes professional situations.
Welsh speakers followed closely, with 18% reporting similar concerns.
The research also found that about 5% of people believed their accent had cost them a promotion, pay rise or senior position.
Among respondents with Birmingham accents, that figure rose to 13%.
Changing the Way They Speak
For some workers, concerns about being judged have led them to alter their natural speaking style.
About 13% of people surveyed said they had changed the way they speak in order to sound more professional.
Cockney and Scottish speakers were among those most likely to report changing their accents.
For some, the decision is not necessarily conscious. People may gradually soften certain aspects of their accent after entering university, moving to another part of the country or starting a new job.
'I Wish It Was More Welsh'
Not everyone sees their accent as something that needs to be changed.
Martha Powell, a 24-year-old from Newport in south Wales, says she is proud of her Welsh accent.
She believes, however, that people can sometimes make assumptions about someone's background based solely on the way they speak.
That has influenced how she approaches networking events and how she adapts her accent depending on where she is in Britain.
Her experience reflects a wider tension between being proud of one's identity and feeling pressure to fit into professional environments.
Foreign Accents Can Also Create Barriers
The issue is not limited to regional British accents.
People who move to Britain from other countries can also experience difficulties because of the way they speak.
Benjaimin Aidomoan moved to the UK from the Czech Republic at the age of 16 without speaking English.
Although he learned the language, he says he has sometimes felt that his accent affects how people respond to him during job searches.
His experience highlights how accent bias can affect both native speakers with regional accents and people who have learned English as another language.
Employers Say Skills Should Come First
Many employers argue that accents should have no role in determining someone's professional ability.
Charlotte Davies, a career expert at LinkedIn, said workplaces should increasingly focus on skills and experience rather than someone's background or accent.
Sian Jackson, a partner at law firm Mills & Reeve, said her organization has changed its approach to encourage more local recruitment and greater diversity in the workplace.
The goal, she explained, is to assess people according to their capabilities rather than their accent or appearance.
Why Accent Bias Still Matters
An accent can reveal where someone grew up, their cultural background or the communities they identify with.
But when listeners associate particular accents with intelligence, education, wealth or professionalism, those assumptions can influence workplace interactions and career opportunities.
The latest research suggests that while attitudes may be changing, accent bias has not disappeared.
For employees, the challenge is maintaining confidence in their own voice while navigating professional environments that may still carry unconscious expectations about how a successful person "should" sound.
And for employers, recognizing those biases may be an important step toward creating workplaces where people are judged by what they can do, rather than how they speak.
Keywords: accent bias, British accents, workplace discrimination, accent discrimination, career confidence, professional accents, UK workplace, regional accents, British workers, workplace equality, career development, English accents, social bias, workplace diversity