Why Aren’t Qualified Imaging Candidates Applying?
I’ve had numerous conversations with clients lately who are not receiving qualified applicants for their job openings. They often assume their facility is not offering enough money or that their recruitment team is falling short.
Sometimes those concerns are valid. However, the problem is not necessarily a lack of qualified professionals. In many imaging specialties, candidates have enough options that an opening must give them a clear reason to leave their current position.
What Does the Data Say?
The shortage of imaging professionals is not simply anecdotal.
According to the most recent ASRT Radiologic Sciences Staffing and Workplace Survey, vacancy rates reached:
- 19.4% in computed tomography
- 17.4% in magnetic resonance imaging
- 17.4% in cardiovascular interventional technology
- 15.6% in radiography
- 12.4% in sonography
- 12.6% in nuclear medicine
Many imaging specialties remain at or near historically high vacancy levels.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects approximately 15,400 openings for radiologic and MRI technologists each year from 2024 through 2034. Those openings will be created by industry growth as well as the need to replace professionals who retire, leave the workforce or change occupations.
The demand is real, but so is the competition.
Candidates Want a Meaningful Improvement
Honestly, we are only as good as our clients’ offerings. I screen between five and ten technologists daily, so I hear their stories and concerns firsthand.
If a new position does not offer something substantially better, why would an experienced technologist make a move?
Candidates may be looking for:
- A schedule that better fits their lifestyle
- Higher compensation
- Less call
- Fewer weekends or holidays
- A lead, supervisor or management opportunity
- Cross-training into another modality
- Better staffing and workplace support
- A shorter commute or relocation assistance
- Greater stability and opportunities for advancement
Even the best recruiter cannot make a lateral move look like career advancement. An opening must provide a clear and credible improvement over what the candidate already has.
Why Standard Job Postings Aren’t Enough
Posting an opening on your website, LinkedIn or Indeed is no longer enough by itself. Qualified professionals see countless advertisements that look and sound nearly identical.
“But we’re offering a $10,000 sign-on bonus,” you might say.
That may attract attention, but competing facilities may be offering similar incentives. Compensation matters, but candidates are evaluating the entire opportunity, not just the bonus.
They want to know:
- What are the call requirements?
- How frequently will they work weekends and holidays?
- Is the department adequately staffed?
- Which shifts are genuinely available?
- Is the schedule fixed or rotating?
- Are cross-training opportunities guaranteed?
- Is advancement realistically available?
- What relocation assistance is offered?
- How quickly will the employer make a hiring decision?
Statements such as “we’re family-oriented” or “we offer a great work environment” are no longer enough. Nearly every employer makes similar claims. Candidates want specific information that helps them understand what their daily working life will actually look like.
Transparency also matters. A vague posting may generate more applications, but it does not necessarily generate better applicants. Clearly explaining the schedule, expectations, compensation and requirements helps the right candidates recognize that the position may be a good fit.
Hiring Speed Matters
The hiring process is part of the candidate experience.
Qualified technologists do not want to complete an interview and then wait weeks for an update. They should not have to repeatedly contact a recruiter or hiring manager to learn whether the employer remains interested.
When the interview process moves slowly, candidates may assume the facility is disorganized, uncertain or not seriously interested. Meanwhile, another employer may already be scheduling a second interview or preparing an offer.
If a candidate is qualified and interested, employers need to communicate clearly and move decisively.
Reconsider Overly Rigid Requirements
Employers should also examine whether their requirements are unnecessarily shrinking the applicant pool.
A candidate may possess the required registry, relevant clinical background and most of the requested experience but lack one specific skill that could reasonably be taught. Automatically rejecting that person may mean losing someone who could become an excellent long-term employee.
If candidates possess the majority of the essential qualifications, consider whether the remaining skills can be developed through orientation, cross-training or additional certification.
Cross-training can be especially powerful. An experienced radiologic technologist may be more interested in an opportunity that provides a defined path into CT or MRI than in another position performing exactly the same work.
Reach Qualified Candidates Proactively
Finally, employers must be proactive about reaching the right professionals with the right message.
Traditional job postings primarily reach people who are already searching. However, an experienced CT, MRI, echo, cath lab or laboratory professional may never browse a job board. That does not mean the person would not consider a better opportunity.
Targeted recruiting can include:
- Direct candidate outreach
- Specialty-specific digital campaigns
- Social media content
- Professional networking
- Geographic targeting
- Registry-specific recruitment
- Direct-mail campaigns
How many mailers do you receive from Kohl’s, a local roofing company or another business each month? Some people call it junk mail. In recruiting, it can be strategic marketing when it reaches a carefully selected audience with a relevant opportunity.
If you need a certified CT technologist, we can target professionals with that credential in a particular city, state or region. If you need a sonographer registered in breast imaging, we can focus specifically on that audience. The same approach can be used across radiology, cardiology and laboratory specialties.
Sometimes employers interpret a low number of applicants as an applicant-quality problem. In reality, a narrowly qualified professional may never actively browse job boards. The recruiting strategy must reach the right people, not merely generate more applications.
If your organization is struggling to attract qualified imaging or laboratory professionals, contact RSG Health Services. We can discuss the position, identify what may be limiting candidate interest and develop a targeted strategy for reaching the professionals you need.
