Norwalk's WikiOrgCharts Now in Beta

Norwalk-based tech start-up WikiOrgCharts has introduced a new Web-based job search site that allows users to search for a job and view an organizational chart of the company where the job is available.

What’s more, users of WikiOrgCharts.com can see who in their LinkedIn and Facebook social networks already work for the company where they want the job.

The company claims this new website, which was launched in September, will make it simpler for users to find jobs and match them to their skill sets. It will also make it easier for job seekers to determine who is the right person to contact in an organization regarding a job opening.

"Getting your application into the hands of the hiring manager can be very important when it comes to successfully getting that new job," said Farhan Memon, CEO and founder of WikiOrgCharts and a Norwalk resident, in a release. "Very often it's impossible to find out who that person is. Now we're bringing together in one place all the resources someone might need to target their application to the right person rather than sending their resume to the HR Department which can be a real black hole."

The information on WikiOrgCharts is user generated i.e. the charts are filled in wiki-style. It is unknown how frequently users will update the organizational charts, which in this current economy are changing weekly or monthly for some organizations.

There is also a question as to whether the platform will cause problems for organizations which specify “no phone calls please” from job applicants. Now that job seekers can more precisely pinpoint who to contact in an organization regarding an opening, will this result in an increase in unsolicited phone calls?

According to the release, the HTML5 site “allows org charts to be constructed, modified, searched and openly shared between Internet users, along with real-time social information from Twitter and other sources. Users that log into WikiOrgCharts using their Facebook or LinkedIn accounts bring their friends' and colleagues' information with them.”

WikiOrgCharts claims that by integrating “crowdsourced org charts with comprehensive job listing data from Indeed.com and a user's social graph, job seekers are now empowered to avoid the generic HR pile.” It claims to already have more than nine million profiles in its database, “including many critical decision makers in business and the federal government.”

The platform also provides organizational charts for federal, state and local governments, and this will be helpful for people seeking information about government agencies.

In a recent article in the Norwalk Hour, Memon, former head of mobile sales and strategy for AOL, indicates that he is seeking investors to back WikiOrgCharts. He encouraged investors in the Norwalk area to invest more in tech start-ups, saying investors in this area are too focused on investing in financial services companies.

Memon said WikiOrgCharts brings in revenue through advertising, premium subscriptions and by holding webinars.

Memon has also reportedly applied for seed money through Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-public state authority that provides capital and operational insight to high-tech industries.

General membership on WikiOrgCharts is free, however users can access premium content by purchasing a paid membership. Users can also earn points toward premium content by updating organizational charts and posting new content.