Drexel Professor, Former Student Aims to Make his Unknown Business Known

Frustration.

It’s something everyone copes with. Or, in Christopher Young’s case, it’s an incentive to build a new business.

Async Interview, a video interviewing technology that was born in 2010, aims to eliminate inefficient and laborious interview processes­—particularly in the early stages.

Young, a native from Media, Pa., initially became frustrated with the interview process when he was trying for his first co-op while attending Drexel. At the time, the LeBow College of Business student had heard back from 23 companies that he needed to meet with personally during a three-week winter break span.

“I learned early on how time consuming it was for a candidate and for managers,” he said.

Also, traveling for interviews can definitely put a damper on any company’s—or interviewee’s—wallet.

With virtually all computers bearing webcams, Young thought, what better way to replace the standard interview? (Async clients, like American Eagle, Bosch and E.W. Scripps, certainly seem to agree.)

And so, Async was formed.

Async, located in Fort Washington, Pa., boasts two products. The first is a pre-recorded video interview technology, which can take the place of lengthy phone calls or time-consuming, costly travel. It allows recruiters to prerecord questions, prompting job candidates to respond at their convenience. The second product is a live interview setup, equipped with a digital notepad for employers to stay organized and share notes. Both products are built as collaboration tools for recruiters, Young said.

The best part about both products is users don’t need to install any software—it’s available at the click of a link.

Young has always had a love for webcam technology, and soccer. When he was an undergraduate student at Drexel, he won the Presidential Award for his idea to install cameras above campus recreation areas. The University implemented Young’s idea, thus allowing him to watch all the soccer he wanted from his living room. (It’s still around today, see drexel.edu/webcams.)

Young attended Drexel for finance and entrepreneurship. He also holds a master’s from Drexel in business management. His time with Drexel didn’t end after he received his diplomas; Young has been an adjunct professor since 2011.

Young said being CEO of Async, a still relatively small company, has allowed him to speak broadly to his students about different topics that are covered in Drexel’s business school.

“On a given day [at Async], I’m using all the knowledge I’ve learned at Drexel,” he said. “I’m really doing a lot of different things on a daily basis.”

Async’s business has been nominated for public relations firm Gregory FCA’s “Best Unknown Business in America.” Throughout June, it has been one of Young’s tasks to solicit votes and support. The prize: a national PR campaign to spread the word about his video interviewing company. In other words, Young is trying to make his “unknown” business, well, known.

“We believe we are a really good unknown business and for us our challenge as a company is really just making people more aware of what we do and how it works,” Young said. “Everyone that seems to understand what we do, likes it, it’s just a matter of getting more people educated about Async.”