A personnel requisition form is used to:

If so, you’re in the right place.  

Whether you need to replace an ex-employee, grow your team to meet business demands, or find top talent with a specific skillset, we’ve got you covered. But if you’re going to find that perfect employee, you first need to create a job requisition. (This is sometimes shortened to job req). 

What is a job requisition, exactly? In this post, we’ll review everything you need to know about job reqs, including:

• what a job requisition actually is
• why a good job req is so important
• how it’s different than a job description or a job posting
• how to build your own job req so you can start finding (and hiring) qualified candidates

Once you’ve read through this article, you’ll be able to:

• identify your ideal candidate
• produce a job requisition that your HR department will approve
• attract the best talent

Because let’s face it – when you make a great hire, you feel like you just hit the lottery. But when you make a bad hire, your company could face big losses, and you feel like you let down the whole team. 

So, here’s to making great hires – let’s get started.  

(Need help finding top talent? We will handle the search, candidate curation, onboarding, and payroll for you. Check out more here.) 

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition is a formal request recruiters or hiring managers fill out for their company’s HR department to create a new position or to fill a job vacancy.  

A job requisition goes beyond just the job description and job title. A good job req also includes relevant information such as:

• hiring manager details
• the department or team that needs the new hire
• justification for a new hire
• job responsibilities
• minimum qualifications
• ideal qualifications
• position type (full-time, part-time, contract, etc.)
• ideal start date
• pay and benefits
• any other details relevant to the job and the company

In other words, it’s the origin of your next great hire.  

Once HR authorizes your job req, you can finish up any last details on the job description, get it posted on whatever job board you use (we recommend the Insight Global job board), and then begin the recruiting process. 

While job requisitions are typically used in businesses with traditional HR methods, companies of any size or industry can utilize them to make great hires.

Why is a job requisition important?

Let’s get the obvious answer out of the way. In many companies, a job requisition is required by HR to begin the talent acquisition process. If you really need a new hire on your team, a strong job requisition is key to getting HR – and finance – to approve your request. That said, a job requisition is important for other reasons as well.

Overall, a job requisition is important because it makes the recruiting process easier for everyone involved. While putting together a job req, you clarify the ideal candidate and streamline the recruiting process. When you know exactly what you need in a new hire and why, you will save your company time and money. Let’s explain exactly what that looks like.

Benefits of a job requisition

A strong job requisition process sets up hiring managers – and new hires – for success. Here are the benefits.

1. Knowing why your team needs a new hire. Are you replacing a former employee? Figure out where they excelled and how they could have improved, and then define the ideal replacement. Is your team working on a big project and struggling to get it done? Ask if you need current employees to reprioritize, a temp for the duration of the project, or a new full-time employee. These questions will help you narrow in on the justification for the new hire, which in turn can save your company money by avoiding unnecessary new hires.
2. Aligning expectations. You, your team, and HR should all be in agreement on the ideal candidate AND on the budget. This saves time in the recruiting process because you won’t be butting heads over different candidates. In addition, candidates will know exactly what to expect, and they won’t feel like you wasted their time. Finally, when it comes time to make that job offer, everyone will already agree on the salary and benefits.
3. Finding good candidates. When you know exactly what you need in a new hire, you can recruit top talent. With an accurate job req, you can quickly weed out unsuitable candidates.
4. Working with a great new hire. A strong requisition process is the prerequisite to a strong recruiting process. With a strong recruiting process, you can feel comfortable bringing on a new employee. You know they have the necessary skills and experience as well as the personality and attitude to mesh with your company culture. No more frustration over an underperforming new team member.

All of these benefits ultimately save your company time and money.

What’s the difference between a job requisition, a job description, and a job posting?

A job requisition is just one part of acquiring top talent. The job description and job posting are also part of the hiring process. While some people use these terms interchangeably, they are actually three different things.  

Let’s break down the differences.  

Job Requisition

Finally, a job requisition is a business document that makes a specific request to hire a certain individual for the job described in your company’s job description.  A hiring manager submits a completed job req to HR and usually the finance department for approval. 

Job Description

A job description is a written account of the prerequisite skills and experience, job responsibilities, and authority associated with a particular position title.

A job description typically include lists of tasks that need to be completed by the employee assigned to that job, as well as any essential qualifications needed for every employee in that position.

Job Posting

A job posting is an online notice that a job opening exists, and it typically includes the job title, responsibilities, and qualifications.  

This is where you advertise your open job position to potential applicants – either through a website or an email blast to your active job candidates.  

In most cases, this will also include a link to apply for the position. 

Tips for writing a great job requisition

There are a variety of ways to make your new employee request more likely to be authorized, even if most of the information is simple. Keep these ideas in mind as you complete your next job requisition. 

1. Determine why you need a new hire

Honestly evaluate your team, your projects, and any gaps in skill or human labor. Ask hard questions about what changes would best improve your team. You need to know if you really do need more employees or if you just need more from your existing employees. These questions can help you determine your justification for a job requisition.

• Why is my team struggling now? Is the workload too high? Are our systems inefficient? Is the current workload temporary or permanent?
• What goals or projects could we achieve with more employees? How could my team better support the company?
• Is my team missing a skill set or experience that could be found in a new type of employee? Or does my team need more people in a similar role?
• If I’m replacing someone, how has the job evolved since we last hired?
• What impact will this role have on the overall team?

As you work through these questions, you will figure out what changes your team needs to succeed. If this includes a new hire, you will also know if they should be temporary, part-time, or full-time. Finally, these questions will help you ascertain the initial job description.

2. Review the job description

While writing a job requisition, you need a general idea for the job description, but it’s okay for the job description to change throughout the process. For now, reflect on these questions as you write the job description.

• Look at the existing job description (if applicable). What is still relevant? What needs to change?
• Think about your ideal candidate. What is their level of experience? Which certifications do they have? What are their skills? How does their personality fit with your team? What else do they bring to the table?
• Determine the minimum qualifications needed for this role. What skills do they need to have already, and what skills can they learn on the job? What certifications do they need (often required by law), and what training can you offer? For example, a medical provider needs specific degrees and licenses, but many IT professionals are self-taught.
• Outline job duties on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. What are the expected outcomes? What are the relevant deadlines?
• Place this role within your existing team. Is this an entry-level position, an executive position, or something else? What will be the reporting structure?

Overall, you want to be both realistic and flexible with the job description.

3. Talk to your team

Your existing team can help you with the above points! They know exactly why you need a new hire, and they can help you create the job description. Plus they can offer perspectives you haven’t considered. Your existing team members will be the new co-workers of any new employees. Take advantage of their valuable input.

4. Take the time to write a good job requisition

Hiring is an investment in your company’s future – and for many companies, it’s their biggest expense. It only makes sense that you might want to spend some time on creating a thorough job requisition that will serve as a valuable document during the hiring process. 

Many businesses will have a standard job requisition form for you to fill out. However, if HR doesn’t provide you with a job requisition form, you can still write a good one using these guidelines.

While each business will have different needs, typically the job requisition document should include:  

• Job Title and Job Code (used to track applications)
• Department
• Hiring Manager
• Job Description (job duties, skills needed, etc.)
• Minimum Qualifications (education, licensing, experience, etc.)
• Justification (reasoning for job req)
• Type of Employment
• Salary Range and Associated Costs (i.e. benefits)  
• Union status (if applicable)  

The most important thing is to make sure that this document accurately reflects the duties of the open position, as well as your company culture. 

A job requisition form acts as proof that you’ve reviewed and approved all of the hiring documents for a specific opening. It should be given or sent to HR for review and approval.  

For some, the job requisition form will serve as a contract between the employer and the candidate – promising them the position if they meet all of the requirements.  

Keep all of these tips in mind when writing your next job requisition, and you’ll be prepared to hire the best employees who are a good fit for your company culture. 

Job requisition template

Job Title  

Requisition Number  

Job Code  

Requested By:  

Date of Request:  

Position/Section to be hired for:  

-A brief description of this position. Be specific about the job duties, responsibilities, and qualifications needed to succeed in this position.  

Position duration/contract type: 

-Determine whether this position is full-time or temporary and what type of contract it will have (if applicable) 

Position qualifications: 

-Minimum and Preferred qualifications for this position. If there is a salary range associated with the job, be sure to include it here as well.  

-Describe any necessary certifications or licenses that need to be obtained to succeed in this role. You may also want to list what steps should be taken if the candidate already has the certification/license.  

-If it’s necessary to be certified in CPR or First Aid, mention that as well.  

-Is this position union? What type of bargaining unit do they fall under? This should be included as an additional document with your job description. 

Requisition reason: 

-Is this for a new role? To fill a vacancy? Did an employee retire? Make sure you have space to include the reason for the requisition. 

Budget: 

-Add details about the impact the new position will have on budget – is there room in the budget for a new hire? Or will this new hire require additional budget? 

Please review all documents before approving and sign below. 

Conclusion

In today’s current work environment, with many employees leaving their jobs, hiring managers are quickly trying to build back their team or hire talented individuals who have a specific skillset. 

And the first step to making that next great hire, whether it’s for a new position or to fill a vacancy, starts with a job requisition. 

Job requisitions help you better define your employment needs, align expansion goals with corporate objectives, and ensure that you have adequate funding to take on new employees. 

They are the first step of your recruitment process and effective job requisitions can help you quickly identify candidates with the right qualifications to meet your company’s specific needs.  

If you’ve read through this post, you’re now well prepared to create a strong job requisition or submit job requisition requests that will help expedite your HR team’s approval process so you can get moving with your new hire. 

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