1. North
FEBRUARY 03, 2012
AMERICANNewsline The Indian EXPRESS 11
video-based social recruiting platform and job board
NEW SITE REINVENTS HOW EMPLOYERS AND JOB SEEKERS CONNECT ONLINE
STAFF REPORTER and schedule telephone, virtual or in-per- We feel our offering was oversubscribed
son interviews in real-time. because we have a very robust solution that
P
alo Alto, California: Waiting for a new has the potential to help tens of millions of
job, or the first dream career break, Q&A people around the world. Investors have rec-
and tired of the online logjam? Here's a ognized the potential and we were blessed to
unique opportunity: try GetHired.com. This have very solid support from them.
How do you see GETHIRED.COM will help US?
is suppoed to be the "most comprehensive
The economy and jobs are the number one Are you outsourcing any tasks? Which country?
video-based social recruiting platform and job
issue in the US today. With the real unem- We are not outsourcing any task yet, however,
board." It's a free service that encourages you
ployment rate almost at 20%, we need to we have opened up our platform in India and
to differentiate yourself in the hiring process
work together on solutions that can help em- plan to have a significant presence in that mar-
by creating video and audio profiles to accom-
ployers and job seekers connect. Currently, ket very soon and will be opening an office there.
pany your resume. And there's more: it will
the HR process for many businesses is very
assist potential employers with applicant dis- How is your company better than many other com-
expensive, often times costing several thou-
covery and management. panies that help in finding and filling jobs?
sands of dollars. Our goal is to bring that cost
GetHired.com is based in Palo Alto, Cali- Our company provides job board functional-
to zero. This will help create jobs, and help
fornia, and has 14 employees. The company on ity, video and audio prescreening, applicant
with economic growth.
30 January announced it raised $1.75 million tracking, real time video conferencing, and
in an oversubscribed round of seed funding. Is it launched keeping in mind the election more. No other company provides this, and
“The idea behind GetHired.com is that timing? we do it all for free!
most job boards are expensive, costing around No, we launched it as soon as we had all as-
Who is target audience?
$400 to post jobs; smaller businesses can’t af- pects of the site developed. It just happens to
Target audience are 6million small business-
ford that. Our whole system is free for now and be that we are in an election time and many
es in the USA and over 1m recruiters and
in the future we will only charge a small fee, politicians on both sides are supporting it.
hiring managers.
around $25 for employers to post a job,” said Silicon Valley venture capitalists have been
GetHired.com chief executive Suki Shah. very cautious in funding any venture in recent What is your source of revenue?
“Since job search came online nearly two times and your company’s initial offering is Our revenue will primarily be through adver-
decades ago, the space has not experienced oversubscribed? Why? tising and affiliate opportunities.
significant innovation,” said Suki Shah, co- Suki Shah, Chief Executive - GetHired.com
founder and CEO at GetHired.com.
“Utilizing the latest advances in Web
existing job boards;
MEN BEHIND THE IDEA
technology, GetHired.com is revolutionizing
S
Ask customized pre-screening questions
the hiring process for both employers and job uki Shah and Naresh Patel are work- him to create a platform that would help him to
for specific positions, enabling job seekers
seekers. GetHired.com saves time and money -- ing together to reinvent the way that source better-quality candidates, in less time, at
to differentiate themselves with video, au-
serving as a partner to employers and job seek- employers and job seekers connect no cost. Suki and Nash created an 800-number
dio and written responses;
ers in the modern online job search,” he said. in today’s digital world. With millions in that would allow candidates to call into a des-
More efficiently search for, pre-screen and
The hiring process often costs employers funding from Silicon Valley, support from ignated phone line and automatically respond
track top candidates;
thousands of dollars per open position – from Washington DC, a great idea and solid to an audio prompt. Simultaneously, job seek-
Initiate and complete the interview process
the expense of posting an available job online, technical know-how, the duo launched the ers would upload their resume for background
online, in real-time; and
to the time it takes to sort through stacks of video-based social recruiting platform and purposes.
Connect with real candidates, not just a
resumes and navigate the interview process. job board on January 30. Astounded that only 30 job seekers would
stack of resumes.
GetHired.com is the first job board to embed Prior to GetHired.com, Suki founded a take the time and energy to complete the audio
video and audio capabilities directly into its It helps job seekers to: company, Statacor Biosciences. It quickly grew application process – and that of those 30, he
social recruiting platform so that job seekers Stay organized as they uncover jobs at top to 25 employees across seven states. As it grew, could quickly narrow down top communicators
can record and submit personal, dynamic re- companies; Suki realized one of the challenges of scaling and candidates with specific skill sets to invite to
sponses to an employer’s most pressing pre- Stand out from other job seekers by creat- a company is the “people process” -- the pro- a one-on-one interview, Suki continued to pon-
screening questions at the start of the hiring ing a personal video and audio introduc- cess of recruiting top talent, sorting through der how to make the process even more efficient.
process. tion to accompany their resume, provid- resumes, facilitating interviews, and hiring the Enabling video was the next logical step.
As a result, employers are able to quickly ing a more dynamic perspective on their best candidates. And so, Suki and Naresh worked together to
find the most qualified candidates for their achievements and work experience; Despite an underemployment / unem- create a comprehensive video-based social re-
organization, significantly saving time and Create a public video profile to use when ployment rate of around 21% in the US, Suki cruiting platform and job board to help find the
money. applying to any online position; was astounded at how many obstacles small most skilled job seekers seeking a position at
Follow their favorite companies so that businesses and entrepreneurs face in hiring the company.
A company release said GetHired.com helps em-
they are aware of any new or relevant posi- qualified candidates for open positions. The two decided to devote more time
ployers to:
tions available; and Suki recruited Naresh, then a software and resources to the project, and founded
Quickly, securely and at no cost post open
Upload their availability for interviews in architect from Marriott International, to help GetHired.com.
positions online – even in conjunction with
real-time so that employers may initiate
HAF Encouraged by Meeting with Norwegian Ambassador to U.S
OUR BUREAU way’s Child Protective Services for purportedly the status of the Bhattacharya children,” ex- "The online petition, which is now closed,
Washington, D.C feeding their children with their hands and let- plained Kansara. “Although the Ambassador has been a huge success in generating greater
ting the children sleep in the same bed as them, was unable to reveal the details of the case awareness about this issue and opening a con-
T
he Hindu American Foundation HAF wrote directly to the Norwegian Embas- while it is still pending, he indicated that he structive dialogue with the Norwegian Embas-
(HAF) was encouraged by its meeting sy in Washington, D.C. and started an online was encouraged by the open discussions and sy,” said Sheetal Shah, HAF’s Senior Direc-
day with the Norwegian Ambassador petition to address the issue. The Norwegian communication between all parties involved. tor. “We remain optimistic that there will be a
to the U.S., Wegger Chr. Strømmen, regard- Embassy subsequently invited HAF’s Wash- HAF will continue to monitor the situation and positive resolution to this case.”
ing the removal of two young children from an ington, D.C. based Associate Director, Jay stay in touch with the Embassy." HAF leaders The latest media reports suggest that
Indian family in Norway. Kansara, to meet with Ambassador Strømmen. also expressed satisfaction with the results of an agreement has been reached between the
After initial media reports indicated that "We are grateful to Ambassador Strøm- the Change.org online campaign and peti- Indian and Norwegian governments allowing
the two children were removed from parents, men for taking the time to meet with us and tion, which generated over 6,000 signatures, the children to return to India and live with
Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya, by Nor- address our concerns and inquiries regarding in a matter of days, from around the world. their uncle, Arunabhas Bhattacharya.
N O R T H A M E R I C A N E D I T I O N