Depending on where someone lives, developing a regional accent is unavoidable. Yet despite the fact that an accent has nothing to do with a person’s workplace aptitude, many fear it could cost them a job opportunity if they don’t hide it in interviews.
People with strong U.S. regional accents were found to face a wage penalty of 20% compared to those who speak with a “standard accent,” according to a recent survey of 3,000 job applicants conducted by a writing assistance organization, Writing Tips Institute. As a result, over one-third said that they “soften” their regional accents in their job interviews out of fear of negative stereotypes.
