The Hidden Costs of Technician Turnover

Every business owner, operations professional or administrator knows that one of the most challenging aspects of their job is finding and retaining quality employees. The process is often time consuming and tedious – sifting through resumes, phone screening and in-person interviews. Finding the person with the right skills and cultural fit are crucial to the success of any organization. Many businesses have metrics around their hiring process and use those metrics to grade the success of their hiring process. One such metric is called “regrettable losses”. Regrettable losses are defined as the percentage of staff that choose to leave the organization within 24 months of their hire date. The reason these losses are called “regrettable” is due to the length of the person’s tenure. Any staff member who leaves in less than two years has not been on board long enough for the organization recoup to the cost of their recruitment, which includes the cost of finding their replacement.

Identifying the Root Causes of Turnover

To keep regrettable losses at a minimum, organizations must understand the factors that drive employee satisfaction with their work environment. This is even more crucial when hiring for highly skilled positions, such as a Radiology Technician. Skilled and experienced techs can produce quality studies that reduce the number of studies that have to be redone due to image quality. This translates into a healthy bottom line.

What factors contribute to job satisfaction for a Radiology tech? At the top of the list is the quality and performance of the equipment they are using. If the c-arm, mini c-arm, ultrasound machine, or x-ray machine they are using is not producing optimal results, techs will become frustrated and demoralized because they have lost control over the output of their work. The result can be an unhappy tech who then becomes another regrettable loss.

To avoid these types of scenarios, it is important to make sure your radiology techs have avenues to voice their concerns about the equipment they work with. Once you know the problem, then you need to know your options to address them.

Plan to Stop the Turnover

The first thought you may have is that replacing any radiology equipment can be a costly undertaking, but you need to balance that cost against the regrettable losses which are also financially damaging to the business. The cost of equipment replacement will be more palatable if you consider purchasing refurbished rather than new equipment. Refurbished equipment provides considerable cost savings over new and still may offer the benefit of being a “step-up” from what you are currently using. The refurbishment process returns the equipment to factory-fresh standards, which will ensure quality images and performance that your techs will appreciate.

Once you have made the choice to move forward with refurbished equipment, you have to be selective about the vendor you choose to ensure you are getting the best value and the highest quality. You will want a vendor that does not sell features you don’t need and that will work with you to tailor flexible solutions.

Bluestone Diagnostics, Inc. has twenty years of experience in selling and renting refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment, including mobile c-arms and mini c-arms. That experience includes a hands-on, consultative approach that will enable you to evaluate the benefits of renting so you can make an informed decision. Our responsive, flexible, and economical approach to c-arm, mini c-arm, portable x-ray and ultrasound equipment rentals could be the right approach to help your facility eliminate those regrettable losses.