How a Position Control System Shortens Your Time to Hire

Now more than ever, efficient hiring processes are critical for success. One area that often suffers from inefficiencies and lack of visibility is the job requisition process. In this article, we’ll explore the ins and outs of job requisitions, identify the flaws in the traditional process, and discuss how implementing a position control system can revolutionize your organization's hiring practices. The end result? Dramatic reductions in your time-to-hire stats, which means more revenue from your sales team, more features shipped by your product team, etc.

What is a job requisition?

A job requisition is a formal request made by a manager to add a new position or to backfill an existing, open position. The requisition typically outlines the position’s title, where the position will sit in the organization, and may include additional details such as job responsibilities, qualifications required, estimated compensation, and more. A job requisition serves as the very first step in the hiring process.

Is a job requisition different from a job posting?

In some cases, people conflate job requisitions with job postings, so just to ensure clarity: A job posting is the public announcement of an available position within a company. It includes a description of the role, required qualifications, and instructions for interested candidates to apply. Job postings are typically shared on company websites, job boards, and social media platforms to attract potential candidates. The job posting only exists after a job requisition gets approved.

What does the typical job requisition process look like?

Getting a new job requisition approved usually involves several steps. The process typically begins with a manager identifying the need for a new position. The requisition then goes through a series of reviews and approvals, often involving multiple stakeholders, such as department heads, HR personnel, finance leaders, and executives. Once approved, recruiters can then create a job posting to start collecting candidates.

What's wrong with that process?

Unfortunately, the traditional job requisition process suffers from various shortcomings that hinder efficiency and visibility. Here are some key issues:

• Lack of connection to the actual headcount plan: The process often fails to align with the organization's headcount plan, which specifies the already-approved positions that can be added throughout the year.
• Disconnection from the HCM system of record: Job requisitions are often managed separately from the organization's Human Capital Management (HCM) system, leading to data inconsistencies and difficulties in tracking.
• No integration with the organizational chart: Job requisitions are not seamlessly linked to the organizational chart, making it challenging to visualize the impact of new positions on the overall structure or see where vacancies exist in context.
• Lack of requestor visibility: Individuals initiating the job requisition often lack real-time visibility into the status of their request, causing frustration and delays.
• Inadequate approval workflow capabilities: Makeshift solutions like Google forms or email lack proper approval workflows, leading to confusion, bottlenecks, and difficulties ensuring the proper approvers are involved.
• Poor tracking and record keeping: The lack of a centralized system makes it cumbersome to track and record the approval process for compliance and auditing purposes.

How can the job requisition process be improved?

The absolute best way to enhance the job requisition process is by implementing a robust position control system. A position control system addresses all of the aforementioned issues by providing a comprehensive platform that integrates seamlessly with existing HR systems. With a position control system in place:

• The process becomes aligned with the organization's headcount plan, ensuring that new positions are approved based on strategic needs and pre-approved plans.
• Integration with the HCM system of record guarantees accurate and up-to-date data across all platforms.
• Seamless connection with the organizational chart allows for a clear understanding of the impact of new positions on the overall structure and makes it easy to visualize where new/open positions are in context.
• Requestors have real-time visibility into the status of their job requisitions, reducing uncertainty and improving communication.
• Dynamic approval workflows ensure that the right individuals approve requests based on predefined criteria, eliminating bottlenecks and streamlining the process.
• Tracking and recording the approval process become effortless, ensuring compliance and facilitating record keeping.

What's the impact of doing it better?

Implementing a position control system brings about several significant benefits relating to the job requisition process:

• Reduced time to hire: By eliminating manual inefficiencies and automating workflows, the job requisition process becomes more efficient, saving valuable time and shortening the overall hiring timeline.
• Enhanced visibility for all parties: Hiring managers, HR personnel, and executives gain real-time visibility into the status of job requisitions, fostering transparency and effective decision-making.
• Dynamic approval workflows: The system automatically ensures that job requisitions are routed to the appropriate approvers based on criteria such as budget, position hierarchy, and organizational policies.
• Easy access to requisition histories: Tracking and retrieving historical requisition data becomes seamless, enabling comprehensive reporting, analysis, and informed decision-making.

Improving the job requisition process is one of the best ways to shorten your time to hire and ensure that every seat in your organization is filled. By leveraging a position control system that supports a requisition approval workflow, companies can streamline their processes, provide visibility to all stakeholders, and unlock the benefits of dynamic approval workflows and comprehensive record keeping. Schedule a demo to learn more about how Built can help you hire faster and hire better.