Job Requisition Checklist

Default Logo
Max 4 MB | PNG, JPG

Job Requisition Checklist

Department:

Requested By:

Position Title:

Requisition Preparation

☐Define the business need for the role

Document the specific business objective or gap that this new position will address within the department

☐Determine the position type and level

Specify whether the role is full-time, part-time, or contract, and identify the appropriate seniority level

☐Outline core responsibilities and duties

List the primary functions and day-to-day tasks the new hire will be responsible for performing

☐Identify required qualifications and skills

Define the minimum education, experience, certifications, and technical skills needed for the role

Budget & Compensation

☐Confirm budget availability for the role

Verify with finance that the department has approved headcount budget to support the new position

☐Establish the salary range and pay grade

Work with compensation to set a competitive salary band based on market data and internal equity

☐Define the benefits and perks package

Outline any role-specific benefits such as signing bonus, relocation assistance, or equity grants

☐Get financial approval from leadership

Obtain sign-off from the department head and finance on the total compensation package for the role

Approval Workflow

☐Submit requisition to the hiring manager

Route the completed requisition form to the direct hiring manager for review and initial approval

☐Obtain HR department review and sign-off

Have the HR team review the requisition for compliance with job architecture and compensation guidelines

☐Secure executive or VP-level approval

Escalate the requisition to senior leadership for final authorization if required by company policy

☐Log the approved requisition in the ATS

Enter all approved details into the applicant tracking system and assign a unique requisition number

Job Description Finalization

☐Draft the job description content

Write a clear and engaging description that includes responsibilities, qualifications, and company culture highlights

☐Review for inclusive and unbiased language

Run the job description through a bias-detection tool to ensure it appeals to a diverse candidate pool

☐Add compliance and legal disclaimers

Include required equal opportunity employer statements, physical requirements, and any regulatory disclosures

☐Finalize and attach to the requisition

Get the hiring manager's final approval on the job description and link it to the requisition record

Sourcing Strategy

☐Select target job boards and platforms

Choose the most effective channels for the role including general boards, niche sites, and social media platforms

☐Determine the internal posting timeline

Decide how long the role will be posted internally before opening it to external candidates

☐Assign a recruiter to the requisition

Designate a primary recruiter who will own sourcing, screening, and candidate communication for this role

☐Set the target fill date and milestones

Establish a realistic timeline with checkpoints for posting, screening, interviews, and offer stages

#RecruitingPartner

Join as freelance recruiter.

Get clients, AI tools & 65% of commissions

Hyring
Independent recruiters placing candidates through Hyring's partner network

What Is a Job Requisition Checklist?

A job requisition checklist is a structured process for drafting, reviewing, and approving requests to fill open positions. This helps ensure that every requisition contains all the essential information and is duly authorized prior to recruiting. The main purpose of the document is to prevent unauthorized recruitment and align headcount with the organization's strategic goals.

Why Hiring Managers Need This Checklist

Hiring managers often face problems related to insufficient information provided by them in the requisition forms. This leads to delays, misunderstandings with recruiters, and wrong candidate selection. This checklist will help hiring managers give recruiters all the essential details about the position they are applying for, including reporting structure.

Key Areas Covered in This Checklist

This checklist addresses issues related to position justification, job title and grade verification, benchmarking, budget approval, recruitment timing, required qualifications vs. preferred qualifications, and recruiter briefing notes. Also, there is an option to update the ATS and notify other stakeholders after requisition approval.

How to Use This Free Job Requisition Checklist

Use the Brief checklist for simple backfill jobs and the Detailed checklist for more complicated new hires that need further explanation. Adjust the fields to reflect your organization's hierarchy and application tracking system requirements. You can download the checklist and attach it to your internal requisition form or send it to finance and department heads for review.

Frequently  Asked  Questions

What is a job requisition, and why does it matter?

A job requisition is an official request for hiring in a particular position that usually requires management and finance approval. The importance of a job requisition lies in making sure that your hiring process is budget-compliant and relevant to your organization's current needs. Otherwise, you might end up hiring too many people or creating nonexistent positions.

What information should a job requisition include?

A complete job requisition includes the job title, department, reporting manager, job requisition justification, salary range, employment type, qualifications, and proposed starting date. In addition, indicate whether the job is a backfill or a new position. Listing this information will prevent you from going back and forth through the approval process.

Who approves a job requisition?

The approval process may vary from company to company, but it generally involves the hiring manager, the department head, HR, and finance. In some cases, a job requisition needs to be approved at the vice president/executive level. Having a clear approval process helps avoid bottlenecks.

How long does the job requisition process take?

The requisition process may take between one and two weeks, depending on how many people need to approve it. This process can be accelerated through the use of a standardized checklist and online approval workflows. Requisition processing may be delayed if the form is incomplete.

What is the difference between a job requisition and a job posting?

Job requisitions are internal documents that approve the recruiting process for the particular position, while job postings are the documents used to attract candidates to apply for the open positions. The job requisition should be approved before preparing the job posting.

Can I use this checklist for contract and freelance positions?

Yes, you can. However, some sections may need to be modified. For instance, those that discuss benefits eligibility and employment classification issues. Please make sure to follow all proper classification steps according to the IRS guidelines and labor law requirements in your state.

How does a job requisition checklist integrate with an ATS?

All applicant tracking systems have requisition modules. You can easily fill out the requisition details based on this checklist. That way, you will make sure that all necessary information has been included in the requisition before the recruiter proceeds with the sourcing process.

What happens after a job requisition is approved?

Once the job requisition is approved, the recruiter prepares the job posting and starts sourcing candidates. A kickoff meeting between the hiring manager and recruiter is recommended. The approved job requisition is a key document for this meeting.

Related HR Glossary Terms

Written by

Rakesh Kumar

View Profile

VP, Recruiting Partners, Hyring

7+ years of experience

Rakesh Kumar Karthikeyan is Vice President of Recruiting Partners at Hyring, where he builds and scales the company's US recruitment business. He leads Hyring's US recruiting team and a growing network of freelance recruiting partners, owning client acquisition, partner development, delivery, and growth strategy.

Expertise

US RecruitmentTalent AcquisitionRecruiting Partner NetworksClient AcquisitionRecruitment OperationsTalent StrategyAI in Hiring

Fact checked by

Adithyan RK

View Profile

CEO & Co-founder, Hyring

18+ years of experience

Adithyan RK is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hyring, an AI-native recruitment platform that has run over 900,000 AI interviews for companies ranging from early-stage startups to the Fortune 500. He has spent 18 years building technology businesses, starting with a digital consultancy in 2008 and a staff augmentation firm in 2017, before founding Hyring in 2022 to rebuild hiring around evidence instead of guesswork.

Expertise

AI RecruitmentAI InterviewsRecruitment AutomationHR TechnologyHiring AnalyticsApplicant TrackingRecruiter Operations
Published on: 25 Mar 2026Last updated: 4 Apr 2026
Share: