EMS Onboarding: How Are We Supporting Our Employees?

Mike Jones, a 25-year-old AEMT, is new to the area and has applied for a job with Acme EMS. His qualifications checked out, and he is one of four people you’re hiring for your power shift. You give him a schedule and tell him to see Kelly in the supply room to get a uniform and that his first shift will be at station 2 on Monday.  

Will Mike look forward to his new job with enthusiasm?  

Meanwhile, another 25-year-old AEMT, Adam Jones, is new to the area and applied for a job with Star of Life EMS. His qualifications checked out, and he is one of four people you are hiring for a new station opening soon.

A supervisor takes Adam around to the stations and introduces him to the people on shift and those supporting the operation in the office. The supervisor takes him to maintenance, where he meets the fleet mechanic, who takes him to one of the trucks in the shop and shows him a few things he’d like to check regularly when coming on shift. He learns to report anything he needs to look at during preventive maintenance checks and anything he’ll be expected to replace himself.

The supervisor takes Adam to meet the HR representative, who teaches him about the benefits and completes the necessary forms for direct deposit, insurance, and tax withholding. HR provides him with a policy manual, explains his benefits, and tells Adam who his Field Training Officer (FTO) will be. When they’re finished, he’s taken to meet the Operations Director.

The Operations Director welcomes Adam to Star of Life EMS. She asks him about his first impression of their operation and tells him how to submit suggestions or complaints. She gives him a new travel mug with the company logo and a small throw blanket to welcome him to the company.  

Work is about more than just the money; she explains to Adam. She tells Adam that EMS is a people business, and they like to care for their people. She tells them how they structure family cookouts, how they feed their employees during in-service to show their appreciation, and shares their policy for bonuses and holidays. She also lets Adam know of employee and family benefits for support, and who to contact for more information or to schedule anonymous counseling sessions and prints off the information for him and a second set to take home and give to his family for their own copy. 

Where does your agency fall into these scenarios?  It is important to tell—and show—our employees that they are valued. EMS is indeed a people business. We cannot show that we care for people without prioritizing care for our employees. It is important to celebrate their successes regardless of whether or not they're work-related. A company-wide email congratulating an employee on the birth of a child or the completion of a master’s degree goes a long way toward making them feel valued.

Showing Value for Employees

If we want to draw new employees into the fold, we need to show both new and existing employees that they are valued. Employee and family picnics can help show your employees that they're appreciated. One agency in Northeast Tennessee cooks breakfast throughout December for each shift to show their appreciation to employees. Another provides a hotdog lunch for their employees during in-service training twice a year.

Tight budgets may make these shows of support more challenging, but there are still several budget-friendly options. One EMS director bought dinner once a month for an employee and their spouse if they had an extraordinary call, wrote up the details, and submitted it to him.

Another way to show support would be to show that we value our employees' time. By canceling unnecessary meetings or providing vital resources to avoid wasting time waiting on a bed at a hospital or doctor’s office. It’s also important to get employees the best pay possible to show them that they are a vital part of the community.

Support for New Employees 

How does your onboarding process measure up? The Director or Chief should send new hires a handwritten “welcome aboard” note once they’ve accepted an offer of employment. A designated official should also call and welcome the new hire aboard and answer any questions they might have about benefits or operations. It’s important to build enthusiasm for their new job. 

All new hires should receive a welcome packet that should cover highlights from the policy manual—like a quick-start guide you might find with a new appliance. Within the Welcome Packet, information about dress codes, where to report for duty/orientation, and where to park should be clearly spelled out. It should also contain information on where to pick up their first uniform(s). You may want to include individual letters from management outlining job and personal expectations,  especially during their probationary period. 

It may also be valuable to send applicable information directly to the employee's family, such as information regarding benefits and insurance. Should your organization have a social media account or newsletter, information on how to access these should also be provided to the family.

As part of a healthy home and workforce, you may also want to provide parallel programs for family members when conducting PTSD, Mental Health First Aid, and other programs designed to help recognize problems and deal with them before they impact the home or a career. 

Proper onboarding builds relationships and a sense of belonging in new employees. It is much easier and cheaper to retain good employees than to think of personnel as expendable assets who are only there for a job. EMS is a profession with a tradition of caring for others through serving. We serve others best by first serving our own and ensuring we set them up for success.