Accent Bias in the Workplace: What Research Shows

Accent bias doesn’t stop at social interactions.

It follows people into offices, boardrooms, classrooms, and job interviews — shaping who is hired, promoted, trusted, and heard.

Research on accent bias in the workplace shows that how someone speaks can influence professional outcomes just as much as — and sometimes more than — their qualifications.

What Is Accent Bias in the Workplace?

Accent bias in the workplace occurs when employees or job candidates are judged unfairly based on how they speak rather than on their skills, experience, or performance.

This bias can affect:

• Hiring decisions
• Performance evaluations
• Leadership opportunities
• Workplace inclusion

And it often operates subtly, making it harder to identify and challenge.

What Research Shows About Accent Discrimination

Multiple studies across sociology, linguistics, and organizational psychology point to the same conclusion: accent discrimination at work is real and measurable.

Research shows that employees with non-dominant accents are more likely to be:

• Rated as less competent
• Viewed as less confident
• Considered less suitable for leadership roles

Even when their actual performance matches or exceeds that of colleagues without accents.

Accent Bias and Hiring Decisions

One of the clearest areas where accent bias appears is during hiring.

Studies on how accents affect hiring have found that:

• Candidates with foreign or regional accents are evaluated more negatively
• Interviewers associate certain accents with lower intelligence or professionalism
• “Communication skills” are often used as coded language for accent conformity

These judgments are rarely based on clarity. They are based on comfort and familiarity.

Pay, Promotions, and Accent Bias

Accent bias doesn’t stop after someone is hired.

Research indicates that employees with non-dominant accents may:

• Earn less over time
• Be promoted more slowly
• Be excluded from high-visibility assignments

This creates long-term career consequences — even for highly qualified professionals.

Language Bias Disguised as Professionalism

Workplace language bias is often framed as professionalism.

Employees are told to:

• Sound more “polished”
• Speak more “clearly”
• Adjust their tone

But these standards are rarely applied evenly.

When expectations consistently pressure certain groups to change how they speak, professionalism becomes a gatekeeping tool rather than a neutral standard.

The Emotional Cost of Accent Bias at Work

Beyond career outcomes, accent bias takes an emotional toll.

Employees report:

• Constant self-monitoring
• Fear of speaking up in meetings
• Pressure to code-switch
• Anxiety around presentations or client interactions

For many, work becomes a space of performance rather than authenticity.

Why Accent Bias Persists in Professional Settings

Accent bias persists because it’s normalized.

It’s rarely labeled as discrimination.
It’s framed as feedback.
It’s justified as “fit” or “communication.”

But when research consistently shows unequal outcomes tied to speech, it’s clear that these practices are not neutral.

Creating More Inclusive Workplaces

Addressing accent bias in the workplace starts with awareness.

Organizations must:

• Separate clarity from conformity
• Evaluate performance based on substance, not sound
• Question whose voices are labeled “professional”

Because talent does not have an accent — people do.

And how someone speaks should never determine how far they can go.

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About the Author

José Martínez is a journalist and author who writes about language, identity, and belonging. He is the author of Your English Is Great, But…, a book exploring accent bias, bilingual identity, and the hidden meaning behind everyday compliments.

👉 Your English Is Great, But… is available now on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Your-English-Great-But-Languages/dp/B0FHBJKJ6R