Yes.
Let me introduce you to a little thing called unconscious bias…
Unconscious bias refers to social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. This is an underlying bias that everyone holds to some degree.
This of course applies to your accent – that’s if you have one.
Let’s take a look at why accents affect job prospects
Employers often make hiring decisions based on an applicants’ communication skills. If the country in which the employer is English-language dominant then you can bet your bottom dollar that speaking English well is going to be one of their main concerns.
Job interviews are competitive places. So whilst you may have a relatively good grasp of the English language you may need to get rid of your accent as well to secure the job.
The harsh reality is that…
Whilst you may tick almost all the boxes, it may not be enough. When faced with two identical applicants, employers are going to choose the individual who doesn’t have a foreign accent 9 times out of 10.
But it’s not just foreign accents. The fact is, holding any kind of accent that isn’t representative of the workplace in which you’re applying is going to hold you back. Hiring decisions are made based on accents of all kinds. Unfortunately, employers admit to making discriminating decisions based on regional accents. For example – if an applicant at a law firm held a working class accent this individual may be less likely to get the job. This may be because they ‘speak slowly’ or they’re seen as not ‘fitting in’ or not being able to ‘speak properly’.
So what do you need to do?
Whether you’re applying for a position in customer service, construction, or as an executive or CEO – you may need an accent reduction coach to secure the job. But don’t take this the wrong way. It’s not an effort to erase your heritage or country of national origin, it’s an effort to make sure you don’t feel discriminated against.
So given the bias that employers admitted to when choosing who gets the job, you may want to contact us. Everyone needs help sometimes… You’ll find even ex Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard received pronunciation training to help progress her career. So if you think that your accent is holding you back you’re in the right place.
How Pronunciation School Can Help
Pronunciation School has helped tens of thousands of people become more confident and comfortable speaking in and out of the workplace. With our Accent Reduction Program, we can help you dramatically improve your speaking style, and express yourself fluently and effectively.