A staff member who was fired by the viral ‘crying CEO’ has been swamped by job offers.
Braden Wallake, CEO and founder and founder of US-based B2B agency HyperSocial, recently hit headlines after taking to LinkedIn with a tearful selfie – visual proof of his ‘lowest moment’ after having to lay off staff.
He had written: "Days like today, I wish I was a business owner that was only money driven and didn't care about who he hurt along the way. But I'm not. So, I just want people to see, that not every CEO out there is cold-hearted and doesn't care when he/she have to lay people off."
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Wallake’s post received thousands of likes and comments, with some of the responses accused Wallake of portraying himself as a victim and criticising him for posting the picture rather than taking action to help the employees who had been let go.
After the message went viral, former HyperSocial employee Noah Smith shared his own response online, admitting: "I was a bit shocked, but didn’t feel any immediate rush of anger or resentment.
"After reading [Wallake's] post, my first thought was just: yep, there goes Braden, being way too honest on LinkedIn again and putting his heart on the line. Now I feel a mixture of sadness and excitement."
But now it seems the attention has may have all been worth it, as Smith has been inundated with job offers – having sent Wallake a screenshot of his inbox, now full to the brim with messages from prospective employers.
Posting the happy sight on LinkedIn, Wallake said: “Noah sent me this pic the other day. Going viral was never intended, but seeing this makes every single nasty comment worth it.
“You guys have FILLED Noah Smith’s inbox with job opportunities, job availabilities, and more. Because of you all, Noah is going to have a plethora of incredible opportunities to choose from.
“And wherever he decides is going to be so lucky to have him!”
After being met with a mix of negative and positive comments on his original post, Wallake penned a follow-up to explain himself further.
He wrote: "Hey everyone, yes, I am the crying CEO. No, my intent was not to make it about me or victimize myself. I am sorry it came across that way.
"It was not my place to out the employees’ names publicly. What I want to do now, is try to make better of this situation and start a thread for people looking for work.
"Here it is - comment away. This is for you to start a new future. To highlight you. People seeking new work: Post your resume, desired job title, qualifications.
"Employers: here’s an opportunity to hire amazing people."
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Jess Hardiman