Definition
A job requisition is a formal internal request to hire for a new or vacant position. A hiring manager raises it, finance and HR approve the budget and grade, and only then does recruitment start. It records the role, the reason for hiring, the salary range and who approved it.
What a job requisition includes
Most requisition forms capture the job title, department and reporting line, whether the role is new or a replacement, location and work pattern, employment type, grade and salary band, target start date, number of openings and the business reason for the hire. Many also attach the draft job description and the must-have requirements that will later be used to screen candidates.
Each approved requisition gets a number, so costs, applications and the eventual hire can all be traced back to it.
You can turn the must-have requirements from an approved requisition into springhire's knockout questions, so applicants who miss a fixed requirement are screened out before anyone reviews them.
The job requisition process
A hiring manager spots the need, typically after a resignation, a promotion or a rise in workload, and completes the requisition in the HR system or on a form. Approval follows a set chain, often the department head, finance and HR, and the more senior or expensive the role, the more people sign. Once approved, the requisition opens, the job is advertised and candidates are tracked against it. It closes when an offer is accepted, or is cancelled if the need disappears.
Job requisitions and time to fill
Many organisations measure time to fill from the day a requisition is approved to the day a candidate accepts the offer, counted in calendar days. A requisition approved on 1 March and filled by an offer accepted on 15 April took 45 days to fill. Time spent waiting for approval sits before that clock starts, so track it separately if requisitions often stall.
Job requisition vs job description vs job posting
The requisition is the internal permission to spend money on a hire. The job description defines the duties, skills and qualifications of the role. The job posting is the public advert built from that description. One requisition can produce several postings, and an evergreen requisition can stay open for roles hired continually, such as contact centre agents.
Common requisition mistakes
Vague requirements cause the most trouble later. If the requisition asks for 'strong communication skills' and nothing measurable, screening becomes a matter of opinion. Write requirements that can be checked: a named qualification, a minimum level in a specific skill, availability for shift work.
Approval chains that sit idle for weeks delay hiring before it has started. Replacement requisitions copied word for word from the last one mean you rehire the old job instead of the one you need now. And requisitions left open after the need has passed distort time-to-fill and headcount reports, so close or cancel them promptly.
Frequently asked questions
The hiring manager usually raises the job requisition, because they know what the team needs. HR or a recruiter may help draft it. It then goes through an approval chain, often including the department head and finance, before the role can be advertised or filled.
A requisition number is the unique ID an applicant tracking or HR system gives an approved job requisition. Recruiters use it to link the job posting, applications, interviews, the offer and the cost of the hire back to the original approval, which keeps hiring reports accurate.
An evergreen requisition stays open continuously for a role the company hires often, such as customer service agents or delivery drivers. Instead of approving each vacancy separately, the business approves ongoing hiring up to an agreed headcount, and candidates are hired as places open.
Related terms
Part of the springhire HR glossary.
