NODEJS INSERT DATA INTO POSTGRESQL (error: syntax error at or near "$")

I am prepared statements in nodejs , to insert data into database using posgresql. I can tell where I am going wrong , but each I get this error (error: syntax error at or near "$") Please Help.

class Employees {
  constructor(user) {
    this.client = require("../database");
    this.createTable();
    // this.dropTable();
    this.bcrypt = require("bcrypt");
    this.user = user;
  }

  createTable() {
    this.client.query(
      "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS employees(userId SERIAL,firstName varchar(255) NOT NULL,lastName varchar(255) NOT NULL,email varchar(255) NOT NULL,password varchar(255) NOT NULL,gender varchar(255) NOT NULL,jobRole varchar(255) NOT NULL,department varchar(255) NOT NULL,address varchar(255) NOT NULL,PRIMARY KEY (userId))",
      (err, res) => {
        console.log("ERROR ==> " + err);
        console.log("RESPONSE ==> " + res);
      }
    );
  }

  // dropTable() {
  //     this.client.query("DROP TABLE employees", (err, res)=>{
  //         console.log("ERROR ==> " + err);
  //         console.log("RESPONSE ==> " + res);
  //     })
  // }

  // create employees and save into the databse
  async save() {
    this.bcrypt.hash(this.user.password, 10).then(hash => {
      // let sql = "INSERT INTO Teamwork.employees(userId,firstName,lastName,email,password,gender,jobRole,department,address) VALUES($fn, $ln, $em, $pwd, $gen, $job,$dep, $addr)";
      let params = [
        "",
        this.user.firstName,
        this.user.lastName,
        this.user.email,
        this.user.password,
        this.user.gender,
        this.user.jobRole,
        this.user.department,
        this.user.address
      ];

      this.client.query(
        "INSERT into employees (userId, firstName, lastName, email, password, gender, jobRole, department, address) VALUES($id, $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8) RETURNING userId",
        params,
        (err, res) => {
          console.log("ERROR ==> " + err);
          console.log("RESPONSE ==> " + res);
        }
      );

      // .catch( (error)=>{
      //     console.log(error);
      // })

      // .finally( ()=>this.client.end())
    });
  }
}

module.exports = Employees;

The above is my code snippet.