Your regional accent could determine your future career success, a survey
claims.
The survey of 107 leading company directors reveals some startling
stereotyping of staff with strong regional accents.
Almost two-fifths of those questioned consider it a distinct disadvantage,
compared to only 7 per cent who believe it is advantageous.
Nearly 50 per cent of directors at the larger companies feel regional
accents are a disadvantage and even regard strong foreign accents as being more
favourabe.
The research, which was conducted by spoken communication consultants Aziz,
also reveals that many directors have negative opinions of certain accents.
A Liverpudlian or Midlands twang is perceived poorly whereas a home counties
accent is widely regarded as most likely to be successful.
Aziz chairman Khalid Aziz explained that an accent could harm career
development and advised people to tone down their accents.
"Although officially accent doesn’t matter, privately it does. Whilst a
person’s accent should make no difference to their career success, our survey
reveals that a Liverpudlian businessman, for example, faces an additional
hurdle.
"Bearing these results in mind we would advise individuals to consider
softening broad regional accents," he said.
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