How to create a job requisition

Why the requisition comes before any hiring

A requisition does three jobs. It controls headcount, because nobody hires without an approved position. It gives the recruiter a written brief, so sourcing starts from facts rather than a hallway conversation. And it leaves a record that finance, auditors and the next HR manager can follow. Take a plant in Pune where the quality head asks for two more inspectors. The requisition makes him say whether they replace people who left or add to the team, what grade they sit in and when they must join. Those answers decide who needs to approve it.

Fields every requisition should capture

Keep the form short enough that managers fill it in without calling HR, but complete enough that nobody has to ask again. The fields below cover almost every role, from a machine operator to a regional sales manager. If a field is often left blank, ask why; usually the manager does not know the answer yet, which is itself a sign the role needs more thought.

• Position title as per your designation list, with department, location and branch
• Number of openings
• Type: replacement (name the person leaving) or new headcount
• Employment type: permanent, fixed-term, intern or consultant
• Grade and the approved salary range
• Required skills, qualification and years of experience
• Target joining date and priority
• Hiring manager and assigned recruiter
• Business reason in two or three sentences
• Job description, attached or written in

Replacement or new headcount: two different approvals

A replacement for someone who resigned sits inside a budget the company already agreed, so the hiring manager and HR can usually approve it. New headcount changes the cost base and needs the business head and finance as well. The difference is real money. A new sales officer at ₹35,000 a month gross costs ₹4.2 lakh a year in gross pay alone, before employer PF, incentives and the laptop. Write your approval route down so managers know in advance how long each type takes.

• Replacement within budget: hiring manager raises, HR approves
• New headcount within the annual plan: hiring manager raises, department head and HR approve
• New headcount outside the plan: add the business head and finance
• Pay above the approved range: record who approved the exception and why

Stopping requisitions from going stale

An open requisition that nobody is working on is worse than none. Candidates apply and hear nothing, and managers assume HR is busy with their role. Review every open requisition once a week with the recruiters. Anything open beyond 60 days should be re-approved, put on hold with a reason or closed. Track time to fill by role so you can tell managers honestly how long a hire usually takes; the HR metrics library has the formulas.

Step by step

1. Confirm the need with the manager. Ask whether the work can be redistributed, automated or covered by an existing employee. Confirm whether the role is a replacement or new headcount, because that decides the approval route.
2. Check the budget and headcount plan. Compare the request with the approved headcount for the department and the salary budget. If it is outside the plan, flag it before the form goes further.
3. Fill in the requisition fields. Capture title, department, location, openings, type, employment type, grade, salary range, skills, experience, target joining date, hiring manager, recruiter and the business reason. Leave nothing to be clarified later on the phone.
4. Attach the job description. Add a job description written with the hiring manager, with duties, must-have requirements and working conditions. The recruiter will use it for sourcing and the careers page.
5. Get sign-off in the agreed order. Collect approvals as your route requires, in writing, before any sourcing starts. Keep the approval email or signed form with the requisition so anyone can see who agreed and when.
6. Publish and assign a recruiter. In ZeniaHR, create the job requisition in Recruitment Hub and publish it to the public careers page. Applications then arrive in the pipeline board under New, ready for screening.
7. Track it until the role is filled. Review open requisitions every week. In ZeniaHR, recruitment analytics show open requisitions and pending offers, and a requisition closes when its openings are filled.

Frequently asked questions