UK bosses less likely to employe Australians because they find our accents annoying Scott and Charlene (Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue) on their wedding day episode in a scene from Neighbours. BRITISH workers who talk like the stars of Australian soap Neighbours are up to a third less likely to land a job in senior management, according to researchers. The habit of turning statements into questions by adding an upward inflection at the end can also reduce the prospects of a pay rise, a study found. Employers said unnecessary use of Australian Question Intonation (AQI) was a 'clear indicator' of insecurity. The survey of 700 bosses, for publisher Pearson, revealed the speech pattern is thought to reflect a need for approval and a reluctance to state one's point of view. Nearly three-quarters of those polled agreed that AQI is an 'annoying trait' and 85 per cent saw it as a sign of 'emotional weakness'. More than half said it would make promotion less likely. When interviewing for senior roles, 84 per cent said frequent AQI by applicants who are not Australian or American may weaken chances of selection. Almost half admitted they would mark down such candidates by as much as a third. Is the Aussie accent a plus or a minus in other countries?