Requisition

A Requisition in HR is a formal request raised to approve a specific need most commonly hiring, procurement, or internal resources before any action is taken. For HR and business leaders, requisitions bring structure, cost control, and accountability to decisions that directly impact workforce planning, budgets, and operational efficiency.

TL;DR

• A Requisition is an official approval request for hiring, resources, or purchases.
• In HR, it most often refers to a job requisition raised before recruitment begins.
• Requisitions ensure budget alignment, role clarity, and compliance.
• They reduce ad-hoc hiring and improve workforce planning.
• Digital requisition workflows speed up approvals and improve transparency.

What Is a Requisition in HR?

In HR terms, a Requisition is a documented request that seeks formal approval to fill a role or acquire resources. The most common example is a job requisition, which authorizes HR to start the recruitment process for a new or replacement position.

A requisition is not the same as a job description or job posting. It comes before both. It answers critical questions such as: Why do we need this role? Is it within budget? Who approves it? Only after a requisition is approved does HR proceed with sourcing candidates.

From a leadership standpoint, requisitions act as governance checkpoints. They ensure that hiring decisions are intentional, aligned with business goals, and financially justified rather than reactive.

Why Requisitions Are Critical for Organizations

Requisitions play a strategic role far beyond administrative approval.

First, they enable financial discipline. Every approved requisition confirms that the role or resource fits within the approved headcount and budget. This helps finance and HR leaders avoid cost overruns and surprise hiring expenses.

Second, requisitions support workforce planning. By documenting why a role is needed growth, replacement, new skill demand leaders gain visibility into talent gaps and future hiring trends.

Third, requisitions improve accountability and compliance. Clear approval trails reduce disputes, prevent unauthorized hiring, and support audits. In regulated industries, this documentation is especially critical.

Pro Tip: Treat requisitions as strategic planning tools, not paperwork. Well-written requisitions lead to faster approvals and better-quality hires.

Job Requisition vs Job Description: What's the Difference?

Although often confused, these two serve very different purposes.

In simple terms, a requisition authorizes whether you can hire, while a job description defines who you should hire.

Common Types of Requisitions in HR and Operations

Requisitions are not limited to hiring. Organizations use them across functions to maintain control and transparency.

Job Requisition

The most common HR requisition. It initiates recruitment for a new position, backfill, or replacement. It includes role title, department, justification, salary range, and hiring manager details.

Purchase Requisition

Used to request approval for tools, software, equipment, or services. HR often raises purchase requisitions for recruitment platforms, learning systems, or benefits vendors.

Internal Transfer or Promotion Requisition

Raised when an existing employee moves into a new role. This ensures headcount and compensation changes are properly approved and documented.

Temporary or Contract Requisition

Used for consultants, interns, or contract staff. These requisitions clarify duration, cost, and scope, preventing uncontrolled contract hiring.

Each type ensures decisions are reviewed before costs or commitments are made.

Key Elements of a Job Requisition

A strong requisition is clear, complete, and data-backed. Most job requisitions include:

• Role title and department
• Hiring type (new role or replacement)
• Business justification
• Reporting manager
• Employment type (full-time, contract, temporary)
• Budgeted salary range
• Expected start date
• Approval hierarchy

When these details are missing or vague, approvals slow down and recruitment quality suffers. Clear requisitions save time for HR, finance, and leadership.

The Requisition Approval Workflow

A typical requisition workflow follows a structured path:

1. Initiation – Hiring manager raises the requisition with justification.
2. HR Review – HR validates role clarity, salary band, and policy alignment.
3. Finance Approval – Confirms budget availability and cost impact.
4. Leadership Approval – Final sign-off from department head or CXO.
5. Recruitment Kickoff – HR begins sourcing candidates.

Delays often occur when approvals are manual or scattered across emails. Centralized digital workflows significantly reduce cycle time and improve visibility.

Challenges HR Faces With Requisitions

Despite their importance, requisitions often become bottlenecks.

One major challenge is approval delays, especially in organizations with unclear authority levels. Another issue is poor justification, where managers raise requisitions without data, leading to rework or rejection.

There's also the risk of shadow hiring roles filled without approved requisitions which creates compliance and payroll issues. HR teams must enforce requisition discipline while keeping processes simple and fast.

Automation, standardized templates, and real-time tracking help overcome these challenges and ensure requisitions support not slow down business growth.

Requisitions in Modern HR Strategy

In modern organizations, requisitions are closely linked to analytics and planning. HR leaders analyze requisition data to track:

• Time-to-approval
• Hiring demand by department
• Budget utilization
• Growth vs replacement hiring trends

This data-driven approach turns requisitions into insights helping leaders forecast talent needs and align hiring with long-term strategy.

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FAQ's

1. What is a requisition in HR?
A requisition is a formal request seeking approval to hire for a role or allocate resources before action is taken.

2. Is a requisition mandatory before hiring?
In most structured organizations, yes. It ensures budget control, compliance, and approval transparency.

3. Who raises a job requisition?
Typically, the hiring manager raises it, with HR facilitating and validating the process.

4. Can recruitment start without an approved requisition?
Ideally, no. Hiring without approval can cause payroll, compliance, and budget issues.

5. How long does requisition approval take?
It varies by organization. Automated workflows can reduce approval time from weeks to days.

6. How does technology help manage requisitions?
HRMS platforms centralize requisition creation, automate approvals, and provide real-time visibility into hiring demand.