Amicon: The 5 Things We Do To Attract & Retain Great Talent

Authority Magazine // July 20, 2022

Interview of Amicon CEO Adam Mopsick

Adapt and Take Chances: You’re not always going to get it right. We’re honest with our employees that we’re going to try new things — like create a new cloud-based platform from scratch, to manage projects or restructure divisions with potential — but always adjust if it isn’t working. We don’t want anyone, including ourselves, to feel stuck by any traditional corporate confines. If we continue to hire people that embrace our culture, we can adapt and innovate with the times. It is critical that we all feel and acknowledge openly that we’re learning together on how to do our jobs the best we can.

The pandemic has allowed people to reevaluate what they want from work. This “Great Reevaluation” has led to the “Great Resignation” which has left the US with a great big labor shortage and a supply chain crisis. What can we do to reverse this trend? What can be done to attract great talent to companies looking to hire? What must companies do to retain their great talent? If not just a paycheck, what else are employees looking for? In this interview series called “The Labor Shortage & The 5 Things We Must Do To Attract & Retain Great Talent” we are talking to successful business leaders who can share stories and ideas from their experience that can address these questions.

As a part of this interview series Authority Magazine interviewed Adam Mopsick.

As CEO and Co-Founder of Amicon, Adam Mopsick utilizes nearly 30 years of dedicated construction and real estate experience to lead corporate operations and strategic growth at the firm. Adam founded the company along with Ross Adickman in 1996 with the vision of creating a construction company focused on a superior client experience and unique corporate culture based on integrity, work ethic and a team-oriented spirit. Under Adam’s innovative leadership, Amicon has established a growing portfolio of prestigious local, national and international clients. Today, Amicon is consistently recognized as the market leader for premier general contracting services, design-build and project management in South Florida.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would like to get an idea of who you are and where you came from. Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where do you come from? What are the life experiences that most shaped your current self?

When I was 21 years old, I graduated from college and started working as an assistant construction superintendent for luxury home builder Brookman Fels, where I later acquired my general contractor’s license. Every day, I attempted to acquire as much information as possible. At the age of 24, I was given the opportunity to refurbish an apartment and earn as much money in six months on my own as I did in a year’s income. I didn’t have any major life commitments at the time, and I didn’t have anything to lose, so establishing my own company didn’t seem like such a big deal. I took a chance and hoped that if things didn’t work out, I could plead for my old job back. I was able to scrape by — job by job — undertaking minor tasks like flooring and bathroom improvements because to the success of that one apartment makeover. With each job completed, the following one grew in size, eventually leading to the Amicon organization that exists today.

Let’s jump right in. Some experts have warned of the “Great Resignation” as early as the 1980s and yet so many companies seem to have been completely unprepared when it finally happened. What do you think caused this disconnect? Why do you think the business world was caught by surprise?

The unprecedented challenges of the last few years accelerated the reshaping of the cultural landscape to place the focus back on the employee. In South Florida, we’ve seen an influx of talent migrating to a city that contributes to a more well-rounded life — from financial to lifestyle improvements. Companies have been starkly reminded to place primary focus back on the individual employee experience and its correlation to a scalable and attractive place for talent. Scalability can often come at the expense of authentic corporate culture. The pandemic challenged every organization and caused major rifts in those that lost touch with core values. Businesses that were losing that focus prior were left to majorly pivot.

What do you think employers have to do to adapt to this new reality?

Employers have to embrace the shifting individual motivations of their employees to create adaptable growth plans. Everyone is unique, and while standard structure is to be embraced, the pandemic has shown us that traditional expectations and working patterns are not necessary to achieve optimal results. At Amicon, we are embracing the hybrid model that encourages new and unique interactions for our team members and management. It is important to define culture beyond a collection of words and “perks” by focusing on the deeper question of how much an organization and its employees value each other. It is critical for our success that our corporate team and managers make dedicated time to connect individually about personal and professional growth on a recurring basis. Many companies can lose sight of what their people need during busy times, but it is critical to prioritize checking in with how people are doing to consider paths forward.

Based on your opinion and experience, what do you think were the main pain points that caused the great resignation? Why is so much of the workforce unhappy?

The pandemic shined a light on the disconnect that can occur between management behavior and employee expectations. When the traditional patterns of work-life were disrupted, employees and employers saw the effectiveness of new ways to work. Removing the office building as the base for work opened up individuals to lifestyle adjustments that didn’t seem possible — from spending more meaningful time with their family, to allowing more travel, to even exercising and cooking at more convenient times. Employers who struggled to embrace this shift to a more trusting and flexible approach lost talent to companies that welcomed the change.

Many employers extoll the advantages of the entrepreneurial spirit and the possibilities of an expanded “gig economy”. But this does come with the cost of a lack of loyalty of gig workers. Is there a way to balance this? Can an employer look for single use sources of services and expect long-term loyalty? Is there a way to hire a freelancer and expect dependability and loyalty? Can you please explain what you mean?

The nature of our company embraces an entrepreneurial spirit by offering a full suite of services that attract all types of backgrounds interested in construction, design, real estate development and project management. It is critical that we appeal to the varying interests of workers that are motivated by different types of growth, whether that may be financial, project variety and/or personal development. Again, I believe that taking the time to get to know anyone you are working with is critical to developing a meaningful relationship. By investing in a person’s life and helping them chart a path with your organization, they reciprocate that loyalty with open communication on how motivations may shift.

It has been said that “people don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses”. How do you think this has been true during the Great Resignation? Can you explain what you mean?

As many categorize this time as an ‘employee’s market,’ it has been critical for us at Amicon to look within for self-improvement at our leadership level. When experiencing surges in growth, it can be easy for managers to overlook staff frustrations due to how busy everyone is . This is what contributes to resignations. Employees feel unseen and unheard, whether they are seeking mentorship or frustrated with their position. It is a critical responsibility and collaboration of leadership and its staff to have open communication to discuss issues, achievements and future growth frequently. Employees no longer need to fear finding a new opportunity when so many options are available in today’s market. There are several things we are doing at Amicon to try to continuously improve. Currently, we are utilizing individual behavioral assessments to help managers and coworkers open a dialogue about the pain points and most productive ways to interact with each other that may be unique from previous styles. At Amicon, we are investing in our current and future leaders through an investment in intensive, hands-on management training.

I am fond of saying, “If it’s fun they charge admission. But you get a paycheck for working here.” Obviously I am being facetious, but not entirely. Every job has its frustrations and there will be times when every job will aggravate employees. How important is it that employees enjoy their jobs?

Happy employees are motivated to work hard for their organization. At Amicon, our team makes a conscious effort to plan a different type of event every week that can engage each employee’s interest, like an educational event, a social event, a site tour for industry exposure and company-wide check-ins. These are unique opportunities for each individual to feel part of the bigger picture and interact with team members they do not normally see. All of these planned events allow us to learn more about each other, ultimately culminating in a more well-rounded understanding of individual employees and what makes them happy. We are focused not only the professional goals of an employee but also the individual ones to chart their future. While one employee may be trying to buy a new home, another is studying to achieve their contractor’s license. Knowing these things helps the corporate and management team create a work- life balance and career trajectory that gets them there.

How do you think an unhappy workforce will impact a) company productivity b) company profitability c) and employee health and wellbeing?

An unhappy workforce will impact a company and an employee in every way resulting in individuals increasingly embracing the entrepreneurial trend. Ultimately being less inclined to work for companies that are unable to provide flexibility and a work-life balance.

What are a few things that employers, managers and executives can do to ensure that workers enjoy their jobs?

Embrace flexible workstyles that promote productivity and better work-life balance

Promote physical and mental wellness — life can be unpredictable, but establishing healthy habits and supporting an employee going through challenging times can make all the difference.

Ask for continuous feedback: At Amicon, we send surveys after every company-wide interaction, from social events to trainings to lectures. We want to improve, and we can only do it by listening to our team’s feedback. Managers and employees should have a formal performance check-in at least twice a year to discuss improvements and track goals.

Encourage meaningful social interactions amongst team members. Employees see past traditional ‘perks’ and look for a welcoming, approachable and transparent environment. It is not easy to achieve this, so elected stewards of company culture across all the teams keep their fingers on the pulse of groups and their happiness. Take your employees and managers out to lunch, learn about their families, their pasts, and their futures. Plan a team outing that gives your folks half a day off and really get to know each other.

Can you share a few things that employers, managers and executives should be doing to improve their company work culture?

Establish and live your core values. At Amicon, we sat with our core group to brainstorm and choose the values that felt most authentic to us. These are now presented publicly in all of our marketing and in onboarding with every new employee to ingrain the importance of these values in everything we do. It’s one thing to write them down, it’s another thing to live with them every day.

Socialize. As we can now safely gather, it is critical that teams invest in learning and growing together. This can only happen through meaningful and unique interactions that allow for fun, vulnerability, and respect. Amicon embraces a new theme each month for its social event. One month focuses on a holiday while another focuses on physical activity — it ranges to continue to engage the company and provide variety.

Lead by example. Leaders need to walk the walk that they are making their teams embrace. If you find yourself micromanaging or too far removed, then you’re not mentoring the next level of leadership. This can only scale with a transparent and comfortable environment for managers and their teams to discuss improvements and challenges openly.

What are your “5 things employers should do to attract and retain top talent during the labor shortage?”

1. Listen to Employees

For example, Amicon sends out a simple survey for every event we do. Our Director of HR, along with Corporate Directors make individual meetings with employees every quarter to discuss their current engagement and future goals.

2. Adapt and Take Chances

You’re not always going to get it right. We’re honest with our employees that we’re going to try new things — like create a new cloud-based platform from scratch, to manage projects or restructure divisions with potential — but always adjust if it isn’t working. We don’t want anyone, including ourselves, to feel stuck by any traditional corporate confines. If we continue to hire people that embrace our culture, we can adapt and innovate with the times. It is critical that we all feel and acknowledge openly that we’re learning together on how to do our jobs the best we can.

3. Learn from Mistakes

Do not shy away from discussing mistakes. One of the most valuable exercises a team can do, as uncomfortable as it can initially seem, is to sit and discuss a lesson learned from a failure or challenging situation. How can we meaningfully celebrate our success without acknowledging the improvements we can make along the way? It is important for employees and clients alike to see that we have the integrity and pursuit for improvement in every process and interaction. At Amicon, many teams have a ‘Lessons Learned’ meeting on a recurring basis that creates a forum for this type of discussion.

4. Invest in Culture

Meaningful growth with a team that is happy and productive takes an investment in the corporate team members that will focus on expanding corporate culture. Amicon has a corporate team that encourages team members to have ownership over cultural events — from happy hours to company-wide trainings — that create another type of investment into the company. Invest in the right overhead, corporate team members that will understand and communicate the tone of your culture in everything you do.

5. Careful Recruiting

Create detailed and specific job descriptions that align with the realities of what your company is looking for. This will be the first layer of winding down candidates. Then, create a recruiting team (preferable in-house) that acts as a committee with HR to be part of the initial screening process. This will allow your Human Resources department to get the best sense of what different leaders and departments need. Creating a thorough screening process was a priority at Amicon, where we curated with a careful mix of assessments and brief interactions to determine if a candidate could fit into the culture.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why?

I’m sure it would be the choice of many entrepreneurs– Warren Buffet would be an inspiration to spend time with. Yes, he’s one of the most successful investors in history, but his ability to grow while sustaining one of the strongest reputations in the business world is something I’d hope to pass along in the people I work with.