Hiring Through the Lens of Diversity: Strategies to Create Diverse Departments

Abstract

There is increasing scrutiny of the lack of diversity in the radiology workforce as well as the lack of significant progress in increasing the proportion of women and underrepresented minorities (URM) in radiology training programs ( 1 Chapman CH Hwang WT Both S et al. Current status of diversity by race, Hispanic ethnicity, and sex in diagnostic radiology. Radiology. 2014; 270: 232-240 Crossref PubMed Scopus (99) Google Scholar , 2 Higgins MC Hwang WT Richard C et al. Underrepresentation of women and minorities in the United States IR academic physician workforce. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2016; 27 (1837-1844.e2) Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (41) Google Scholar ). For over a decade, our radiology societies and journals have urged us to increase the diversity of radiology teams to better reflect the demographics of our patients and our society in the United States ( 3 Grimm LJ Ngo J Pisano ED et al. Men (and women) in academic radiology: how can we reduce the gender discrepancy?. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2016; 206: 678-680 Crossref PubMed Scopus (54) Google Scholar , 4 Fielding JR Major NM Mullan BF et al. Choosing a specialty in medicine: female medical students and radiology. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2007; 188: 897-900 Crossref PubMed Scopus (57) Google Scholar , 5 Lightfoote JB Fielding JR Deville C et al. Improving diversity, inclusion, and representation in radiology and radiation oncology part 1: why these matter. J Am Coll Radiol. 2014; 11: 673-680 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (109) Google Scholar , 6 Lightfoote JB Fielding JR Deville C et al. Improving diversity, inclusion, and representation in radiology and radiation oncology part 2: challenges and recommendations. J Am Coll Radiol. 2014; 11: 764-770 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (77) Google Scholar , 7 Lightfoote JB Deville C Ma LD et al. Diversity, inclusion, and representation: it is time to act. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016; 13: 1421-1425 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (51) Google Scholar ). It is argued that this is the right thing from a moral and social justice perspective, from a public health perspective, and from a business perspective ( 5 Lightfoote JB Fielding JR Deville C et al. Improving diversity, inclusion, and representation in radiology and radiation oncology part 1: why these matter. J Am Coll Radiol. 2014; 11: 673-680 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (109) Google Scholar , 8 National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine of the National AcademiesBeyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC2007 Google Scholar , 9 Norbash A Kadom N. The business case for diversity and inclusion. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020; Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (9) Google Scholar ). These “calls to action” are not being ignored. Many departments (including our own) have made concerted efforts to enhance our diversity. Despite limited success at some institutions, a frequent and recurrent concern that emerges from these efforts is that the pool must be enlarged from the ground up—high school, college. But as we work on enlarging the pool, we also must look at the hiring process.