Better together: An inside look at consolidation of two talent-focused businesses

By Stephanie Haydn

ecently I sat down with Paula Bradison, CEO of Bradison Management Group, or BMG, and Alaska Executive Search, or AES, to discuss her work with contractors in Alaska.

Following a long career in healthcare, Bradison founded BMG. At the time, she focused her expertise on supporting a variety of industries, working with organizations to develop lean processes and enhance operational efficiencies. She purchased AES, a forty-year legacy Alaska firm, in 2016. Both organizations have a history of championing Alaska businesses.

As a fourth-generation Alaskan, Bradison knows what it takes to live and thrive in Alaska. After five years of leading both organizations, and following the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Bradison decided it was time to employ the methods she uses to support her clients and develop her own team.

The teams at both AES and BMG already work in tandem to support talent acquisition and ensure seamless transitions. They want to support the employee lifecycle from onboarding to development, creating an approach that focuses on process and people improvement while engaging teams to take ownership in the organization’s achievements.

Motivated by a team dedicated to improving Alaska businesses and a background in strategic planning, Bradison decided to invest in becoming “better together.” Both organizations took part in two days of strategic planning, resulting in a new business: People AK. People AK is a commitment made by both AES and BMG employees to work together to arm clients with the tools to not only succeed but prosper. The motto “Because we are better together” was solidified by a move to new offices located at 1600 A Street. Now working together out of the same space, staffing consultants and business consultants interact, taking a complete approach to addressing client needs.

While interviewing the team, I asked, “Who are some of your favorite clients?” Without hesitation, Bradison said, “Contractors!” The reasons are simple—they know their business and defining success is clear. When a client can identify what success is, putting processes and communication pathways into place becomes the primary focus.

The People AK team starts the process by finding talent equipped to meet the challenges and demands of Alaska. Next, they determine how to best onboard new talent for success. While talking with the AES and BMG team, it was clear that their approach is to empower clients.

Too often, recruiters simply fill an empty seat. The AES approach is consultative—simply filling a seat often results in failure to both the client and candidate. Consultants work with the client to determine what a successful candidate must bring to the organization. One consultant stated, “We find Alaskans before they know they are Alaskan.”

It takes “grit” to be an Alaskan. Working in the industry requires an understanding of seasonal, environmental, and cultural challenges. Consultants can easily identify a resumé that demonstrates skills but AES consultants dig deeper; they get to the “grit,” looking at a candidate’s ability to work in rural communities, navigate logistical challenges, and connect to Alaskans.

BMG consultants are similarly equipped to empower Alaska businesses. While discussing their favorite clients, BMG consultants shared stories of engagements that onboard unique infrastructure projects, new roads, new airports, and other needed developments. BMG onboarding engagements typically include multiple stakeholders. Contractors and subcontractors come together to develop communication plans and escalation trees that result in clear roles and expectations, ensuring timely and cost-effective project delivery.

Not only are the consultants at AES and BMG better together as one team, they are better together as the client’s team. Together their toolbox of experiences address talent acquisition, employee competencies, professional development, and change implementation demands. AES and BMG truly are “People AK.”