Like many professions in allied health, EMS is suffering from a workforce shortage. As with any career, EMS work has disadvantages, but it also has some unique advantages. To recruit people to EMS work, it is important to highlight the benefits of EMS as a career that:
- Has a high sense of value and purpose – EMS workers make priceless contributions to their community every day;
- Is a great choice for “people” people – those who find personal and professional satisfaction in being with others;
- Offers flexible hours;
- Provides a constantly moving, changing environment – each day in EMS work presents new and different challenges; and
- Is never boring.
“EMS workers are never going to get rich, but they do take other satisfactions from their work,” says Thom Dick, former Quality Care Coordinator for Pridemark Paramedic Services in Arvada, Colorado. “Some people are born to be bricklayers, some lawyers. And some people have a sincere desire to help others. EMTs and paramedics get attracted to their professions because they want to help people.”
Reach Out to Potential Employees
There are several ways to get EMS information to potential employees. You might try to:
- Encourage your employees to become EMS “ambassadors,” and arm them with information on getting into the field;
- Prepare materials on EMS careers as handouts and feature that information on your company Web site;
- Host informational meetings that feature medics who can personally attest to the value of their work; and
- Participate in career fairs at local high schools and vocational and technical schools.
Think Outside the Box
To address the workforce shortage issue, some EMS organizations have started to “think outside the box” in developing innovative programs that not only recruit professionals to the workforce, but also recognize and use the knowledge and experience of their own employees in selecting new members for their team.
At Pridemark Paramedic Services, medics form the Pridemark Interview Team and conduct extensive and thorough four-stage interviews of candidates. Since its inception, the medics determined that they wanted to take on the responsibility of hiring all new EMTs, paramedics and communication center employees. “We based the program on the notion that if you’re going to spend lots of time working with someone, you’re better at selecting them,” Dick said.
Working together, the Pridemark Interview Team devised a system whereby all qualified applicants are interviewed on the same day at regularly timed intervals. Conducting all interviews on one day allows the interview team members to schedule their time on the ambulance around the interview day. By being part of the hiring process, the team helps to ensure that new employees are a good fit. They also serve as real-life testimonials to the positive working environment at Pridemark.
As a result of their human resources and recruitment policies, Pridemark has a hiring list of 150 to 200 candidates. The team interviews 12 applicants each month, and usually selects four for the hiring list. Candidates also complete a written test and practical skills assessment and meet standard hiring criteria.
Reprinted with permission from the 2005 EMS Week Kit.