How to Write a Job Requisition

What is a job requisition?
What does a job requisition include?
Job Requisition vs. Job Description
Job Requisition vs. Job Posting
How to write a job requisition
Job Requisition Sample

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition is a formal organizational document that department managers use to request to hire a new employee. The job requisition document serves as the formal request for the new position. The document outlines the organizational need of the new position and details the budget required to make the new hire.

To put it simply, a job requisition requests a new hire, justify its necessity, and determine the budget needed to fill the role.

What does a job requisition include?

Job requisitions generally include the following items:

Job Title
Hiring Manager's Name
Indication of whether the job is contract-based or permanent
Indication of whether the job is part-time or full-time
Salary Range, when applicable
Hourly Rate, when applicable
Start Date
Indication of whether the hire is a new hire
Indication of whether the hire is a replacement
Indication of whether the hire is a reallocation
Reasoning for making a new hire
New Job Description
Budgeting for role

Job Requisition vs. Job Description

Job requisitions include the justification and need for a new hire. Job descriptions simply list the responsibilities and duties of the associated role. Put another way, job descriptions are part of a requisition, but requisitions include much more information.

Job Requisition vs. Job Posting

A job posting, on the other hand, is a public advertisement for an open position. Postings are designed, in other words, to attract applicants. Job postings often include job descriptions, but they are not advertisements designed to solicit applications.

How to write a job requisition

Do your homework. Managers should be able to clearly identify and quantify the work not being completed and the productivity lost as a result of not having or filling the position. In other words, you need to convincingly justify that bringing on a new employee to meet organizational needs will provide a net gain for the business.
Get buy-in from relevant colleagues. Talk to managers and other executives from related departments that will also benefit from the new position. Convincing them to support and endorse the requisition makes your case far more convincing. Conversely, if you cannot get other executives to cosign the requisition, it is likely your requisition will not be approved.
Focus on metrics, including quantitative and qualitative outcomes. Again, specifics are key here. 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 can expect, and how it can manage success moving forward.