Teamwork is a critical and essential part of any organization. This is true regardless of the industry or the size of the company. Part of teamwork is creating a team in which the members of the team are a "good" fit. When a team member is not in an ideal position, this has the potential to impact the entire team. In EMS, this can impede the delivery of services and may even lead to calls that do not run as smoothly as they potentially could.

It is generally agreed that an organization's most valuable asset are the employees. It has also been noted that one of the most significant liabilities of a company is to have an employee in the wrong position. This can raise an important question: How does a hiring manager or team select an individual that is likely to be the best fit? While this is not always easy to answer, there are some general guidelines that may be useful.

When considering adding a new member to a team, the hiring manager has a significant decision to make. One goal for the hiring manager is to hire the "ideal" candidate. This is not inconsequential. Hiring an individual that later reveals not to be "effective" or a "team player" can present a variety of challenges. Examples include performance issues, attendance issues, as well as the overall ability of the new employee to "fit in" with the team.

Depending on the organization, when a vacancy opens there might be the desire to fill the position as quickly as possible. A vacancy may result in other staff having to do more work with the same or fewer resources. This can cause stress that can ripple through the team. Because of this potential, there may be significant motivation to hire a new team member.

How this is accomplished may vary. For example, the job vacancy may be posted for a defined period of time, applications received, and interviews scheduled. Based on the number of "qualified" applications, and after conducting interviews, the "right" person is hired. Once the individual has been hired, the goal is to "get them up to speed" -- as quickly as possible. Sometimes this process is accelerated, and subtle yet important details may be overlooked.

When possible, the hiring process should not be a rapid-fire-process. It should allow for due-diligence and thorough candidate review. While this may take time and may appear at times to be a painful process, it may prove to be extremely worthwhile. The concept of "filling the open position as soon as possible" without an established interview process may result in hiring an individual that is not the best match.

Depending on one's perspective, a job vacancy can mean different things. Some employees might consider an opening to mean that a valuable team member has left. This can cause stress among employees. Some employees may even begin to develop a feeling of doom and gloom as "Joe/Jane left us... What are we going to do?" This may lead to morale and performance issues.

A vacancy can also be viewed as an opportunity. If a new team member is going to be hired, the team has the opportunity to select a brand new team member. It is possible that the new team member will bring a fresh perspective and/or additional skill sets. For example, perhaps "Joe" had been in his role for a while and his performance had leveled off. While he was still contributing to the efforts of the team, it was noted that his contributions did not appear to be as significant as they had been in the past. It may have also been the case where Joe recognized that it might be time for a change. Having a vacancy is not necessarily a negative development. While it might be challenging for the team to pick up the work until the position is filled, once a new team member is brought on board it could allow for a new level of performance.

Not all vacancies will be filled. This may raise concern, especially if the previous employee was viewed as a star performer that achieved incredible levels of performance. Companies often re-evaluate existing positions, the company's overall operations, as well as their strategic plans. Not all positions that are here today will be here tomorrow. A variety of factors influence the decision to fill a vacancy.

If the vacancy is not going to be filled, supervisors and managers should be prepared to address any questions that are raised. Not filling an opening is not necessarily a reflection of the previous employee's value to the company. It could be that the existing position will be redefined and two new positions will be created versus having just the one position. If the employee that left was in a management role and that position is not going to be filled, employees should be notified as soon as possible about this. The employee that learns that they are going to have a new supervisor during a "water cooler" discussion may be a tad upset that they did not receive a personal update. Scenarios such as this have created environments where the employee may suspect that the management team is trying to hide information.

The presence of a vacancy can be accompanied by a variety of employee responses. When possible, leaders should do their best to address any questions. If a vacancy is going to be filled, the team may have a new member. This could prove to be a very beneficial development. If the position is not going to be filled, employees may find that they are able to re-prioritize their tasks and work more productively than they previously realized. While this can be challenging, it can lead to new skill development and new interests that were not recognized in the past. This could be a very positive development.

Paul has been involved in healthcare for more than a decade. During this time has held clinical and administrative roles and has functioned as a Paramedic and Flight Paramedic. Paul has Master degrees in Computer Resources/Information Management and Healthcare Administration.