Accent Bias

I have seen it happen and heard the justifications- some valid and some not.

Have you ever thought that your accent may have affected your ability to be hired, promoted, or treated fairly and inclusively by work peers in day-to-day interactions? I have never been the target of accent bias but I have been the target of another type of bias. No, it's not gender bias. But, enought with that. That's for another blog. The only reason I mention it is that it may be because of being a recipient of bias myself that I may be more acutely aware of other types of bias.

All those preconceived notions of your ability to do the job. Judgement based on perceptions of your ability, but also on things like your trustworthiness, competence, intelligence, and even your likeability. Then from your accent there are the stereoptypes based on your cultural background. Expectations that you work harder and are smarter if you are Asian. Yes, that can cause problems with the expectations that you will be perfect in the workplace. That you or someone you know is likely involved in criminal activity, or that you are uneducated and lazy if you are Hispanic. Accents are wonderful things until they cause miscommunication, high or unattainable expectations, avoidance, and at the very worst- judgement. If they are not causing you to have any negative thoughts and feelings, then things are good.

So, you might be thinking, "She said in the first sentence that there are valid justications." No, I am not saying these stereotypes are correct but that there is some validity to the fact that an accent can be a barrier to your work communications. Yes, it can promote stereotypes when people hear accents but more than that it can affect your ability to be heard and to communicate correctly. Sometimes we think that we are speaking correctly when in fact we aren't and that inaccuracy is being picked up by the listener. This can cause the listener to misinterpret; become confused, even momentarily; avoid further in-depth conversations; or at the worst, start to apply stereotypes.

So... what can we do about this in the workplace? The answer lies on both sides. First, REALLY good cultural sensitivity training. ONGOING training. A willingness for a company to invest in that because of the long-term benefits. However, I will leave that to the specialists in that area.

Second, accent modification and speech improvement classes for staff who work on all levels. "Well, why do I need that?" Simply to ensure that you are placing the correct rhythm in your sentences, using the correct pitch, tempo and word stress, and pronouncing words correctly. You see, what happens is that when we learn a new language we apply the phonetic structure of our native language to our new language. Thus, an accent.

For the first point, that is totally on the company to incorporate this but as staff you can make the suggestion to those in charge. Just make sure that you are pointing out the benefits for the company. Management is all about that.

For the second point, that can be a joint effort by individual staff and mangement. Individuals can choose to do it on their own and perhaps the company will pay for it, if they see the benefits. The company can also provide small group classes if there is a larger component that would like to work on accent modification and speech improvement.

Accents are a natural part of language and identity, a reflection of the unique journey we each take in learning and speaking.

Looking out at English Bay, Vancouver, BC