When Mia Tanswell moved from Manchester to attend university in Loughborough, she quickly noticed something about the way she spoke. In classroom discussions, the 22-year-old worried her northern accent sounded less intellectual than those of her classmates.
Many workers across Britain share similar worries. A new survey of more than 3,300 adults found that one in ten people feel self-conscious or anxious about their accent in important professional settings, such as speaking up during business meetings.
The research, conducted by the organization More in Common for Common Ground, showed that accent-related anxiety was highest among people with Geordie accents from Newcastle and Cockney accents from east London, both at 19 percent. People with Welsh accents followed closely at 18 percent.
For some workers, accent concerns go beyond feeling nervous. About 5 percent of respondents believed their accent had cost them a promotion, a pay rise, or a senior job role. People from Birmingham, known as Brummies, were the most likely to feel their accent harmed their career progress, at 13 percent. In addition, 15 percent of people with West Country accents reported that colleagues had mocked or criticized the way they spoke.
Lara Newman, founder of Common Ground, says she changed her own accent years ago while working in the construction and property industry. She explains that accents in Britain are often linked to assumptions about education level and social class, creating unfair barriers for job seekers.
However, career experts say some workplaces are starting to change. Charlotte Davies from LinkedIn noted that modern hiring is increasingly focused on actual skills rather than background or traditional polished speech. Some employers are actively updating their hiring practices to encourage regional diversity and welcome a broader range of accents.