Need to make a new hire? Maybe you’re after a talented developer to add to your team or a copywriter to increase the bandwidth of your marketing team. Or maybe you’re just looking to fill a position while one of your employees is on maternity leave. Whatever the case may be, it’s time to write a job requisition.

Regardless of the reason behind your desire to add a new employee to the team, it’s not going to happen until you get company stakeholders to sign off on the position. That’s where job requisitions come in. 

In this post, we’re going to dive into how to write one to ensure other decision-makers in the company:

• understand the value of the proposed role,
• realize the urgent need to fill the position, and
• agree to recruit someone new. 

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition refers to a formal organizational document that department managers can use to request to hire a new employee. They make a case for the new role and provide details on the position in question from job title to the new hire’s responsibilities. 

These documents can help hiring managers make the case as to why the new hire is needed as well as providing information on the potential budget needed to make the new hire happen. 

How is a job requisition different from a job posting?

A job requisition can often be confused with a job posting. However, a job posting refers to a description of the role that’s publicly posted to attract potential candidates. In comparison, a job requisition is an internal document used to convince a company’s stakeholders to agree to hire a new employee. Job requisitions are never seen by prospective hires.

Why are job requisitions so important?

Job requisitions are essential for making new hires because you need the agreement of each department to go ahead with bringing a new employee onboard. That’s why job requisitions need to be highly-convincing making the case to every department as to why a new employee is needed. 

Additionally, job requisitions are often passed onto either an internal recruiter or an external recruitment agency. These professionals use job requisitions as guides to help them make hiring decisions.

How to write a job requisition: cover every essential

To create a persuasive job requisition, you need to cover all bases: get down to the granular ins-and-outs of the job role. As such, you need to include each of the following—as highlighted by AIHR Digital: 

1. Job title. What is the proposed title for the new role? Lead with this to ensure transparency.
2. Department. Always include the name of the department.
3. Hiring manager. Add the name of the hiring manager.
4. Purpose of the role. What is the purpose of the role? What are the responsibilities included in the job? 
5. Requisition reason. Why do you need to add someone new to the team? Maybe a current employee is due to go on maternity leave? Maybe an employee is just about to retire? 
6. Salary range. To help stakeholders conceptualize budget requirements for the new role, clearly state the approximate salary range for the role. 
7. Job start date. Always mention the proposed starting date for the role.
8. FTE / Weekly hours. Will the role be full-time or part-time? Mention the number of hours per week required for a part-time role.
9. Duration. Include whether the assignment is permanent or temporary. If it’s a temporary contract, the end date should be defined.
10. Contract type. State whether you wish to hire an employee or a contract worker. This will have an impact on the job scope and any additional benefits you may or may not need to pay. 
11. Required qualifications. What are the required qualifications for the new candidate? E.g a certain level of education. 
12. Budget.  Stakeholders will be keenly interested in the cost of hiring a new employee. Be transparent about budget requirements and be sure to back up your assertions with evidence of why that particular budget is required. For example, you may justify your budget as the standard going rate for a role, or you may argue you need a more sizable budget to attract the best talent for a role requiring niche, high-level skills.   

How to write a persuasive job requisition: speak in terms of each department’s interests  

Now we’ve got the essentials out of the way, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty components you need to include in a persuasive job requisition. In order to accomplish this, you need to address each team’s key anxieties around hiring someone new while highlighting how they’ll benefit from the new hire. 

For example, to win over the finance team, you’ll need to make a strong case for why there’s room for this new hire in your company’s budget. Show them how the new addition will be an investment rather than an expense. 

In comparison, the HR team may be more concerned with gaps in your workforce’s skill sets. Will an unfulfilled position mean that certain tasks go unmanaged? How will this impact the company and its reputation with customers or clients?  

Focus on each department’s key interests and responsibilities. Show them how the new team member will benefit them and what they risk by refusing to onboard a new employee. 

Give them them the numbers and metrics

Figures and metrics are so much more persuasive than words alone. To make your job requisition more convincing, talk in terms of numbers and metrics.

What quantifiable, measurable difference will the new employee make to the company? Which metrics will they need to hit? What will they achieve in 60 days? What will they accomplish in one year? How will they impact the revenue generated by the company?

Persuade off the page 

A persuasive job requisition begins off the page. Get stakeholders’ buy-in before you share your job requisition. Discussing the benefits and drawbacks of hiring someone new beforehand can give you insights into what each department’s biggest concerns and interests are, ensuring you appeal to each of them in your document.

Discussing costs beforehand also ensures that none of the decision-makers feel blindsided by any unexpected costs which will increase your chances of receiving each “yes” you need. 

Ace your next job requisition

Job requisitions don’t have to be intimidating. With the above elements, it’s easy to get each department to want to say yes to your proposal for a new hire. Just keep this list to hand before you begin writing your next job requisition to make sure it’s as persuasive as possible.