Candidate experience is one of the latest buzz phrases in talent acquisition. As we live in the age of Trip Advisor, Yelp, Glass door where peer reviews rule, it is most interesting that when people speak about the candidate experience, they seem to focus on the candidates, that DON'T get the job.Don't get me wrong their experiences can and need to be handled a lot better from recruitment agencies, corporates and government departments alike. But who is thinking about the candidate experience for the candidates that DO get the job? A recruiter's job is to source, but certainly also to educate client companies on prevailing market conditions and sentiments as they should have their finger on the pulse. As recruiters, you are matchmakers, which means your job is to find and make the perfect match. Your job is to ensure both parties are in love and go off into the sunset together.Why is is then that some recruiters do not advise their clients, that candidates fall out of love in this market, if a) they have to wait for an interview time, b) if they have to wait for feedback on their CV, c) if they have to wait for an offer, d) if the company is unprepared for them on their start date? Recruiters know this but tend to just say that if the client does not hurry up, they will lose the candidate! Yes they will, but the client also needs to know that Gen Ys and Gen Zs are hugely influenced by their peers and peer reviews. So they need to be mindful that the dangers of not having a streamlined process, is not only that that particular candidate will fall out of love, but they will also deter others from even being interested now and in the future. In marketing parlance, this is known as Brand damage.But let us consider the candidate who does get the job, but has had to wait endlessly for feedback, offer, contract. Every day they wait, they fall a little out of love. They may even start to doubt, if the company really wants them. Is this how your clients want to start their staff with their companies? Unlikely, so what are you as a recruiter doing about this? First you need to streamline your own processes e.g. by asking for three interview times upfront when a client engages you to recruit for them. You get these by explaining WHY i.e. what the benefits are TO them of agreeing to this. You ask for interview feedback from the client within 2 hours of the interview finishing. You organise second interviews within the same week. You ensure a verbal offer is accompanied by a written offer or closely followed by the verbal offer i.e. within 48 hours. You ask about these WHEN you take the job brief, so any hurdles or expectations can be managed by you to ensure the candidate stays in love. Recruiters; take control so you offer your clients a premium match making service. Candidate experiences matter for those who don't get the job, but also for those who DO!