Here's how you can effectively give feedback in a job search support group.

In a world where we can be anything, kindness matters. When providing feedback and advice, we should do it from a place of love and understanding, putting ourselves in the shoes of the person who is receiving the feedback.

It is important to always put yourself in the other person's shoes. Many jobseekers grow to become apprehensive about seeking advice so that they are not thought of, as "stupid," especially after a series of rejections or refusals. It's even okay to let them know you were once in their shoes. Being this way empathetic when providing feedback will certainly resonate and motivate them to accept your feedback. A person providing helpful and empathetic feedback will be able to provide more useful support.

Empathy is the starting point to being able to listen, comprehend and solution. I run a University to connect Mentors from Europe to Mentees across the rest of the world for job changes or just a quick chat. Since the time allotted is short, it is quite important to practice empathy and keep it simpler. We ensure quality of the conversations by ensuring everyone we onboard is engaged in displaying the highest level of empathy. Moreover, these calls are virtual and may not have pre-preparation time or notes, which then makes empathy and active listening even more important

I have found it helpful to always place what they could have done better into the middle of feedback. So, you identify a mistake, and you say something positive first, mention the error and what you would have done if you were in there shoes, but don't dwell on it by very quickly giving a positive comment (maybe even with an applause). Job seekers find things very tough already, especially when they are getting 10, or 20 rejections. It can be demotivating. Hearing positive comments encourage them to keep going.

The narratives we tell ourselves define our creation of life. Staying positive is an attitude. It not only helps us be present and optimistic about current and future outcomes, it leaves people with infectious enthusiasm for self and others, and helps them gravitate towards us.

Specifically for support groups, the intention is to administer high quality feedback. This can only happen in 1:1 and conscious group conversations rather than a 1:many monologue. Feedback should only be handed out if it truly highlights an area of development a person should pay attention to; or can be personalised from a perspective or perception. In both cases, the more specific you are, the better the outcome for the person receiving feedback. It could also entail the recipient asking more questions to arrive at the specificity of the feedback.

I find that most times, job seekers really believe they have done their best in job search. Of course, there's always a second opinion. Providing suggestions or opinions, or even pointing them in a direction they never knew existed, can be very helpful. Websites for more information, ideas, other resources that you know of, will help them keep coming back and appreciative of all feedback provided.

As an employer or head of department, it is important that whenever you point out a problem, help the team grow by offering suggestion too. Every one appreciates a solution provider not just a problem finder

This is a challenge faced by many communicators. Feedback can sometimes not be taken in the correct spirit, or delivered succinctly without abrasiveness or directness, and hence may hamper a productive conversation. The way around this is to guide people in the group to accept all perspectives and understand the value of losing insights.

We must provide genuine feedback which will help the job seeker in plugging the existing gaps and will also enable him to be armed to the tooth for the next opportunity. Using carrot and sticks approach to feedback also works well generally. One can also narrate a relevant past story to make the job seeker relate to your constructive feedback.