The UK accent bias: Is your accent impacting your employment prospects?

The answer to this, of course, should be no - whether that influence is positive or negative. However, in our latest poll, 64% of people believed their accent had indeed impacted their employment prospects/success within interviews, with 30% stating their accent has had a negative effect. Leo Wax, Consultant in Macmillan Davies FuturExec Team considers a recruiter’s role in helping to raise awareness of accent bias in recruitment.

A 2022 study by the Sutton Trust looked at the impact of accent bias and the implications it can have on social mobility. The results show that attitudes among the public towards different accents have largely remained unchanged over time, with accents from industrial cities in England, such as Manchester and Liverpool, looked down on, just as ethnic minority accents, such as Indian and Afro-Caribbean are. Accents have long been a significant factor in judging someone's socioeconomic status, but this can be problematic in terms of equality and fairness – particularly when it comes to recruitment.

Shockingly, a 2006 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 76% of employers admitted to discriminating against applicants based on their accents. A recent study by the Social Mobility Commission found that working-class candidates are often unable to gain access to elite professions, despite having the relevant qualifications and skills, because of informal ‘poshness tests’, such as a candidate’s style of speaking.

What role do recruiters play?

As recruiters, it is our job to ensure there is no bias or even an unconscious bias when it comes to accents. Currently, a person’s accent is not yet seen as a protected characteristic – but should it be? Until this changes, it’s down to recruiters to work with our clients to ensure the right candidate gets the job on their own merit rather than for the reason of ‘perceived’ prestige down to their accent. If non-traditional candidates are discriminated against, it can reduce their profile and further stigmatise their accents.

Antonio Navarro, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Schneider Electric, and a Spanish native who moved to the UK for work explains how he has felt his accent has often been a barrier in his career: “My Spanish accent is very strong, and I have always been conscious of this. It has always felt like a barrier in my career; however, my approach was to work on it with hundreds of English lessons with private tutors, adapting the way that I speak, and using software tools such as Grammarly (paying myself of course).”

“When I first moved to England, I struggled to find a job; even when I got my first position things were still very challenging. I was unable to get a graduate role, and I found I was unable to communicate effectively with my manager or clients or share my frustrations. I often misunderstood instructions, tasks, or appointments and I struggled when answering a phone call at work. However, all those things have made me stronger and more resilient. I have been able to connect with love Spain and help others that are in the same situation as me.”

Speaking honestly and candidly, I, however, have been fortunate in that my accent has usually had a positive impact when I have been a candidate. One could argue that I am lucky to speak the way that I do, and I agree, but it is a frustrating element of working in recruitment as I don’t believe people should change the way that they speak in order to boost their employment prospects. Unfortunately, I have seen this in action during recruitment processes and it forces me to reflect upon our commitment to social mobility and inclusion.

Advice for recruiters

• Embed accent bias into your D&I process
• We know there is an accent bias, and as such, it should be treated in the same way as more traditional discrimination forms such as age, race and sex.
• Provide training to tackle accent bias
• Training for the whole business to try and eliminate accent-related bias. Generating awareness will help hiring managers and interviewers to bear this in mind when assessing the suitability of candidates,
• Leave jokes aside – even when it’s a social setting

Researchers found 46% of workers have faced jibes about their accents, with 25% reporting jokes at work. We all know that work-related social settings often see an increase in jokes and teasing. If people are teased or mocked about their accent it can quickly result in people becoming ostracised.

Whilst it is normal to have stereotypical associations with accents, these can be used when judging skills and abilities. If we are to create truly inclusive organisations and recruitment processes, this must be addressed.

Get in touch

Should you wish to have a confidential chat with Leo Wax to discuss the current HR market and where we can help with inclusive recruitment or your search for work/recruiting into your team, please contact him directly at lwax@mdhr.co.uk

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