President of My Trade Talent
Michael Carter began his career in commercial B2B services in 2012, where he developed the leadership, operational, and business-building skills that would later shape his approach to talent acquisition and workforce strategy. Throughout his early career, Michael served in several leadership roles, gaining firsthand experience in scaling teams, building processes, and helping businesses grow. In 2014, he expanded into the recruitment industry by developing a hiring program focused on helping mortgage and real estate companies attract key talent and strengthen their organizations.
In 2021, Michael took over as VP of Recruiting, leading internal recruitment efforts and helping build the foundation for what would become My Trade Talent. After partnering with hundreds of companies across the skilled trades, Michael and his team recognized the growing hiring challenges facing trade organizations nationwide. That experience led to the development of innovative recruiting models designed to reduce hiring costs while consistently delivering qualified talent for long-term growth.
Plenty of applicants for crew labor. Almost none for the foreman who keeps the account. Here's the 2026 commercial landscaping market, the roles that decide whether clients stay, and how to fill them faster.
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The operator you laid off in November makes his decision in January, and you're not in the room for it. Here's how paving shops keep skilled crews through the winter instead of rebuilding from scratch every spring.
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NICET-certified designers and sprinkler fitters don't scan job boards. The shops that win source passive candidates and sponsor certification before the seat opens.
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Commercial roofing's hiring problem is really a retention problem in disguise. Here's where the foremen and estimators you want actually are — and how to reach them before you need them.
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A bad hire costs more than wages. Learn the hidden costs of poor trades hiring, from rework and safety risks to lost customers, delays, and re-recruiting.
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A commercial electrician's license travels with them — which means retention isn't optional, it's the whole game. Here's what actually keeps journeymen from walking.
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Plumbers stay when pay tracks current market rates, on-call load is fair and compensated, and there's a real path to lead or PM.
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Good candidates walk at the offer stage more than contractors realize. Benchmark the pay, move fast, and sell the whole package — not just a number — and your close rate climbs.
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Commercial construction superintendents and PMs stay when schedules are realistic, pay matches current market rates, and there's a real path upward. Here's what actually keeps them from leaving mid-project.
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Commercial HVAC technicians stay for steady work, current-market pay, strong foreman leadership, and a real path beyond "technician." Here's what actually keeps them from walking.
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Contingency recruiting scales with salary — every senior hire costs more. Flat-rate stays predictable. Here's the actual math on which model saves commercial contractors money.
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There are three ways recruiters charge — contingency, retained, and flat-rate. Each has a specific use case. Here's when each model actually makes sense for commercial contractors.
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In-house hiring works for junior, high-volume, easy-to-fill roles. Recruiters earn their fee on senior, specialty, and hard-to-reach hires. Here's where the line actually is.
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Most trades job ads bury the two things candidates actually screen for — pay and stability — behind walls of requirements. Here's how to write ads that convert.
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Lengthy, disjointed hiring is the fastest way to lose the best candidates. 15 practical strategies — across communication, interviews, compensation, and process — to keep top talent engaged from first contact to signed offer.
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The 2026 commercial HVAC salary benchmark — by role, region, and credential — and how the firms that staff well actually hire in a tight market.
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What journeymen and masters earn in 2026 — by license tier, union status, and region — and how commercial contractors actually hire them.
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What commercial construction PMs, superintendents, foremen, and estimators earn in 2026 — and the five seats that drive a firm's margin.
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What master and journeyman plumbers earn in 2026, plus the interview questions that predict who actually stays on your crew.
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What commercial roofers, foremen, and PMs actually earn in 2026 — and how to stay staffed through the ongoing labor shortage.
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What fire alarm technicians, sprinkler fitters, and NICET-certified designers earn in 2026 — by level, role, and major market.
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What paving operators, foremen, and plant operators earn in 2026 — plus how to build a crew that actually returns every spring.
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What landscape foremen, account managers, and project managers earn in 2026 — and how to build a commercial landscaping team that actually stays.
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What union painters, industrial painters, and commercial paint foremen earn in 2026 — and how the best commercial GCs actually hire.
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What carpet, LVT, hard-surface, and polished-concrete installers earn in 2026 — and how to hire across each surface type without losing margin.
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