Maria, a finance sector professional who migrated from Russia to Australia, exemplifies the challenges faced by skilled migrants seeking employment advancements.

With a bachelor’s degree from her home country and a master’s degree from Australia, Maria currently navigates her career in a contract role while undertaking further studies.

She expresses aspirations for a more client-facing position but acknowledges the hurdles associated with her migrant status, particularly emphasizing language barriers and workplace jargon.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Australian National University has highlighted the challenges that women with foreign accents encounter in the Australian job market.

Ksenia Gnevsheva, the lead author of the study, noted that women are more adversely affected by accent-related perceptions than men.

While men with foreign accents were rated equally employable regardless of their linguistic backgrounds, women faced a 'double disadvantage.'

According to the 2021 Census, nearly one quarter of Australians speak a language other than English at home, underscoring the country’s linguistic diversity.

This diversity has not shielded non-native English speakers from discrimination.

The study utilized a 'perception experiment' with audio clips of speakers from various backgrounds, including native English speakers and those with Russian or Mandarin as their first languages.

Participants rated the speakers on their employability based on the audio clips.

The findings revealed that Anglo women were perceived as the most employable, while second-language English-speaking women, including Russian speakers, were rated the least employable.

The survey results suggest a significant gap in employability perceptions due to linguistic backgrounds, particularly disadvantaging women.

The researchers identified that discrimination based on accents, although less frequently reported than race or religious discrimination, is a prevalent issue.

Dr. Astrid Perry, head of Women, Equity and Domestic and Family Violence at Settlement Services International, indicated that this discrimination manifests in the human services sector, where many migrant women are forced to restart their careers despite having significant qualifications and professional experience from their home countries.

The ANU study concludes that while Australian law prohibits discrimination based on age, disability, race, sex, and other attributes, it does not cover discrimination based on accents, which can serve as a proxy for other forms of bias.

The research advocates for educating HR professionals and decision-makers about bias in hiring practices to create a more inclusive workforce that values diverse experiences.

Maria’s experiences resonate with the study’s findings; she articulates the need for migrant professionals to exert extra effort to achieve the same career milestones as their Australian-born peers.

The implications of language-based discrimination in the labor market remain a significant concern as Australia continues to navigate its multicultural identity.