Requisition and job approval workflows in an ATS

A requisition workflow records the business request to hire, while a job approval workflow routes that request to authorized reviewers before recruiting begins.

Teams comparing recruiting software can use this overview to assess which workflow fits their hiring process. In an ATS, the process can capture headcount, budget, role details, ownership, comments, decisions, and approval history in one record.

I prefer the shortest approval route that still reflects real authority. Extra approvers often add waiting time without improving the vacancy.

Key takeaways

• A requisition is the internal request; a job posting is the candidate-facing advertisement.
  When the role is ready, you can post a job for free to start reaching candidates.
• Approval should confirm business need, budget, role ownership, and publishable details.
• Use conditional routing for location, level, contract type, or budget instead of sending every role to everyone.
• Give each approver a deadline, backup, and clear decision.
• Keep change history when approved fields are edited.
• Measure approval time separately from candidate hiring time.

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition is an internal record requesting permission to hire for a position. It typically explains why the role exists, where headcount sits, what it costs, who owns it, and when the employee is expected to start.

Common requisition fields include:

• Job title and department
• Hiring manager and recruiter
• New or replacement headcount
• Number of openings
• Location and workplace type
• Employment and contract type
• Target start date
• Budget or compensation range
• Cost center and internal code
• Business reason
• Draft job description
• Required approvals

The public job post can draw from the approved record without exposing internal comments, budget controls, or confidential fields.

How does a requisition approval workflow work?

The workflow validates the request, sends it to the right approvers, records their decisions, and releases the job for recruiting once all required conditions are met.

1. Manager submits the request. Required fields prevent incomplete requisitions from entering review.
2. ATS selects the route. Rules use department, level, location, contract, or budget to identify approvers.
3. Reviewers assess their area. HR may review role structure, while finance checks budget authority.
4. Approver accepts, rejects, or returns it. Comments explain requested changes or the reason for refusal.
5. Requester updates the same record. The history preserves revisions and prior decisions.
6. ATS releases the approved job. Recruiting can complete the posting and open applications.

The system should show current status, owner, pending approver, elapsed time, and the next action.

Who should approve a job requisition?

Approvers should have real authority over the decision they review. The route varies by company, but it may include the hiring manager's leader, HR, finance, or a workforce planning owner.

Avoid adding reviewers as observers. Notifications or report access can keep someone informed without making them a blocking approver.

What approval rules should an ATS support?

Useful rules route work according to the requisition rather than one fixed chain. The system should also handle absence, delegation, edits, and rejected requests without losing history.

Look for:

• Sequential and parallel approvals
• Conditional routing by field value
• Spending or compensation thresholds
• Backup and delegated approvers
• Reminders and escalation
• Required comments for rejection or return
• Version history for changed fields
• Reapproval after material edits
• Permission to publish only after approval
• Reports on pending and completed requests

Define which edits trigger reapproval. Changing punctuation should not restart the process, while a higher salary range or added headcount probably should.

How do you prevent approval bottlenecks?

Set a service expectation for each decision and give the approver enough information in the first request. Most delays come from unclear ownership, missing fields, unnecessary reviewers, or no backup during absence.

I would use these controls:

• Require complete information before submission.
• Show approvers the fields relevant to their decision.
• Use parallel review where decisions do not depend on each other.
• Assign a backup approver.
• Send reminders before the request becomes overdue.
• Escalate to a named owner after the deadline.
• Report average and oldest pending approval time.
• Review rejection and return reasons for recurring process problems.

Keep urgent exceptions visible. An emergency route should require a reason and preserve who authorized it.

Which metrics should you track?

Track requisition approval separately from later recruiting stages. This shows if the hiring process is slow before a vacancy ever reaches candidates.

Useful measures include:

• Time from draft to submission
• Time from submission to final approval
• Time waiting with each approver
• Percentage returned for missing information
• Rejection rate and reasons
• Number of approval cycles per request
• Approved jobs waiting to be published
• Unplanned versus planned headcount

Use medians as well as averages when a few old requests distort the picture.

How should the approved requisition connect to the job post?

The approved record should populate stable job fields while allowing the recruiter to edit candidate-facing language within agreed boundaries. Internal budget, planning notes, and approval comments should remain private.

If a pay range is required in the advertisement, map it from the approved compensation field and confirm currency, location, and interval. The job description guide can help turn role requirements into clear copy.

Recooty includes priority job approval in relevant plans, along with job distribution, customizable pipelines, and user access controls. Test routing, edits, reminders, and approval history with your own authority rules.

Frequently asked questions about job approvals