A job requisition is a formal request to fill an open position at a company, with backup documentation. It typically includes the job title, department, fill date, and the job description.
If you work in management for a company with a human resources department and recruiters, or a layer of upper management, then a job requisition will be a necessary step in your hiring process.
Job Requisition Form Download:
Download this job requisition form in PDF format. Editable and very easy to start using right away.
How to Write a Job Requisition:
The process of preparing a job requisition is going to vary quite a bit from company to company, but I've got four tips here that will help universally.
1. Do your research.
You should know exactly what is not getting done because you don't have this position, what will get done, and how it will affect the company overall, especially in terms of revenue, product or service quality, and morale.
2. Get buy-in from stakeholders.
Talk to stakeholders from other departments and get them onboard with this position. If you can get heads of other departments supporting a role that doesn't even report to them, you've got a strong case.
3. Focus on outcomes.
What, exactly, will a successful candidate in this position accomplish? Give clear goals, say, for 90 days, 120 days, and 1 year to make it easy for the person approving the requisition to understand exactly what the company is getting, and how to measure if it was a good hire.
4. Follow through once the position is filled.
Once you've got the position filled, have a look at our orientation guide to get started off right.
The Job Requisition Approval Process:
Usually, a manager will fill out the requisition, get it approved by HR or upper management, then hand it off to a recruiter to find a candidate that meets their needs. Part of the purpose of a requisition is to act as a guide for the recruiter to be sure they get the right person for the job.
What is the Difference Between a Job Requisition, Job Description, and Job Posting?
If you do some reading about job requisitions, job descriptions and job postings, you'll find that there's a lot of confusion about the distinction between these.
Some people use all three words interchangeably. That isn't so much of a problem as when people substitute one for the other and post a job description in place of posting.
The job description is an accurate description of the role, responsibilities and necessary qualifications of a job. It is usually a dry piece of technical copy, meant for internal use to pass along information about job requirements and to give expectations to a new hire.
A job posting is meant to work like an advertisement. It treats potential recruits like great customers, gets them excited about the possibility of working for your company, and helps you quickly fill a job vacancy.
A requisition, of course, is a preliminary step to making a posting, but often comes after the description has been created.