Viral for Empathy: My Story of Unexpected Impact on LinkedIn

Recently on LinkedIn, one of my unassuming posts went viral. It was about a compassionately written job rejection email that stood out from all the others I’d received. For someone with a smaller network, the flood of reactions, reposts, and comments (both positive and negative) was overwhelming and fascinating at the same time. My goal had been to post weekly about customer experience and related topics, but this particular post blew up beyond my expectations. It certainly kept me engaged and curious. In true social media fashion, where you feel an instant shot of endorphins, I found myself checking my analytics constantly throughout the day—and for several days afterward.

Here’s a link to the original post, which I edited slightly for LinkedIn: A Job Seeker’s Experience: Embracing Empathy and Transparency.

To date, the post has received 23,197 reactions, 546 comments, 568 reposts, and almost 7.3 million impressions according to LinkedIn’s analytics. The interactions came from all over the world. I also saw a substantial uptick in profile views, new followers, and connection requests.

I won’t lie: some of the negative comments stung a little, even though they were from strangers. A few people insulted my intelligence, with one remarking, “That’s nice, but do you not realize it’s an AI-generated rejection?” My thoughts, though I didn’t engage, were: "Of course, it’s likely auto-generated with AI, but my point was HOW it was written. It stood out compared to the endless, robotic emails I’ve received over the months." Simple as that.

The point I was making was about the lack of creativity and thoughtfulness in recruiting and HR processes. This email, at least, conveyed some empathy and effort. As someone who values empathy and delivering memorable customer experiences, I appreciated the way it was worded. The email echoed values I believe every company should have when interacting with the public who may ultimately become their potential customers and advocates.

Bottom line: we remember how we’re treated. In a process as stressful as job hunting, this company was a bright spot in a sea of generic, impersonal responses. And yes, it even came from a real email address you could respond to—not a "No Reply" inbox! This is rare in today’s job search world.

When responding to comments, I tried to be patient, understanding, and professional. I focused on the positive conversations and didn’t get defensive, even when faced with negativity. After about a week, though, I turned off the comments. I was job hunting after all, and this viral post was becoming too much of a distraction.

In true social media fashion, here are some key takeaways from this experience:

1. Good People Exist

I made some great connections and received DMs from fellow job seekers, many of whom were intelligent and hardworking women chasing their dreams. I loved the sisterly support and encouragement offered! Networking at its finest. On the flip side, I also received a ton of spam targeting frustrated job seekers like myself. Some messages were even flagged as offensive by LinkedIn’s policy. Yikes!

2. Frustrated Voices

The job market is tough, and the application process can be discouraging. That’s why I found some solace in the more human tone of that rejection email. While some comments were negative, I understood the frustration and realized it’s part of the nature of social media. My point was that a little empathy goes a long way—even if it's found in an auto-generated email. I tried not to take the negativity personally and looked at the bigger picture. Some people just wanted to lash out, but I reminded myself that recruiters may be watching, and their online behavior reflects poorly. I was not about to go down a similar path.

3. Newfound Appreciation

Shoutout to Social Media Managers and Recruiters—their jobs aren’t easy! Engaging with large groups of people, whether on behalf of a brand or a job, can be emotionally draining. The current systems are far from perfect, but they’re doing the best they can. I received several comments from HR leaders who appreciated the email’s tone and wanted to incorporate similar messaging. It doesn’t have to be robotic and impersonal out there. We can all go back to the age-old saying: “Treat others as you wish to be treated.”

If you’ve ever experienced a post going viral, what was the topic, and how did it make you feel? I’m curious to hear about others’ experiences. Personally, as a one-person show, it was overwhelming but also fascinating to see how people perceived my message.