Increasing Diversity in Canadian Radiology: From the Hiring Process to Needed Active Retention Efforts.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Workforce Diversity
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Background:

• Ensuring a diverse workforce in medical imaging is essential for equitable patient care and innovation.
• Current recruitment and retention practices may present barriers to underrepresented groups.
• The Canadian Association of Radiologists advocates for systemic changes to promote EDI in employment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline essential strategies for implementing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the recruitment and retention of medical imaging professionals.
• To guide institutions in developing comprehensive policies and practices that foster a diverse workforce.
• To highlight the importance of an intersectional approach in addressing recruitment and retention challenges.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing and recommending improvements across the entire hiring process, from job postings to promotion.
• Emphasizing the need for diverse hiring committees and mandatory EDI and anti-bias training.
• Advocating for broad candidate searches, inclusive interview processes, and objective hiring decisions.
• Promoting mentorship programs and transparent promotion guidelines to support faculty development.

Main Results:

• Widely distributing job postings to reach underrepresented groups is critical.
• Diverse hiring committees with EDI expertise and training are vital for fair evaluation.
• Objective criteria and inclusive practices throughout the hiring process are necessary.
• Sustained commitment to retention, promotion, and mentorship is key for long-term diversity.

Conclusions:

• Achieving a diverse medical imaging workforce requires embedding EDI principles into organizational goals and strategic plans.
• Reviewing all policies and procedures through an intersectional lens is necessary to identify and address systemic barriers.
• Proactive implementation of inclusive recruitment, retention, and promotion strategies is imperative.