This week, the BBC published a feature exploring the issue of accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned by Common Ground, alongside interviews with young people from our network who shared their own experiences of being judged because of the way they speak. 

The research found that one in ten people in Britain feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent in professional settings, while many respondents reported feeling pressure to modify the way they speak in order to fit in. The polling also found that 5% of people believe their accent has cost them a pay rise, promotion or senior role, highlighting the tangible impact that these perceptions can have on career outcomes. 

You can read the BBC article here

The issue of accent bias is particularly relevant to the property and built environment sectors. While our industry has made significant progress in recent years, people from working-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in many parts of the profession. As a result, assumptions linked to accent, geography, education and social background can become barriers to opportunity and progression. 

For Common Ground, this is not simply a conversation about the way people speak. It is a conversation about social mobility, inclusion and access to opportunity. Accent bias is just one example of the barriers that many young people face when trying to enter and succeed within the property and built environment industries. Whether those barriers relate to professional networks, access to work experience, confidence, financial circumstances or workplace culture, they can all prevent talented individuals from reaching their full potential. 

There are encouraging signs of progress. Across the property and built environment sectors, many organisations are actively working to create more inclusive cultures and widen access to opportunities. However, there is still significant work to do if we are to build an industry that truly reflects the communities it serves. 

At Common Ground, we remain committed to opening up careers in property and the built environment to talented people from every background. Through mentoring, networking, work experience, industry engagement and social mobility programmes, we work with employers and partners who share our ambition to remove barriers and create more inclusive pathways into the sector. 

We were proud to support this important national conversation and to help bring greater awareness to an issue that affects people across the UK. Our hope is that this coverage acts as a catalyst for change and encourages employers, educators and industry leaders to reflect on the role that accent bias can play in limiting opportunity. 

If your organisation is committed to tackling barriers to opportunity and creating a more inclusive built environment sector, we would love to hear from you.