But boosting Async Recruiting L.L.C.'s bottom line is a secondary piece of the company's Help Us Help America campaign, Young insisted. The priority, he said, is "to really get Americans back to work quicker."
Motivated by Obama's speech promoting the American Jobs Act, a 32-minute talk in which the president challenged Congress to "stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy," Young and partner Ehud Israel came up with a giveaway plan.
They are offering 50 free video interviews to each of the first 100 companies that signs up. The offer stands through Dec. 31, or until 100 companies are enrolled in the program, whichever happens first. Companies have four months to use the interviews, which typically would cost as much as $30 each or as little as $5, depending on the volume purchased. (Interviews are sold in blocks - 20, 100, and so on.)
Aside from getting people hired, Young said, he hopes Async's Help Us Help America initiative will prompt other job-creation or job-filling actions by U.S. businesses.
"The message I wanted to send is: 'No matter how small or big . . . whatever your business is, try to offer something,' " said Young, 24, who graduated from Drexel in June with an MBA. Israel is a Montgomery County businessman who mentored Young at Drexel's Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship.
As reported in March, Async was launched in September 2010 with the goal of revolutionizing the hiring process. Its founders aren't suggesting that in-person interviews should be avoided, just that its technology can help companies more cheaply and efficiently whittle down a pool of prospects to a core group worth meeting.
