Resources/Glossary/Recruiting
A requisition, or req, is an approved request to fill a job. It usually includes the job title, department, hiring manager, budget or pay range, location and reason for hire, and it is the official start of the recruiting process for that role.
In one line
An approved request to fill a job, usually with a budget, hiring manager and job title attached. Recruiters call it a req.
A hiring manager or HR partner creates the requisition, often in the ATS or HRIS. It then moves through approvals, such as finance and senior leadership, to confirm the role is budgeted. Once approved, the req gets an ID number, is assigned to a recruiter and can be posted. Many companies separate new roles from backfills, which replace someone who left.
Recruiters use the req as the anchor for reporting. Time to fill, cost per hire and recruiter workload are usually measured per req. A recruiter's req load, the number of open reqs they carry, is a key capacity measure, and it varies a lot by role type and volume.
Agencies use the word too, meaning an open job order from a client. In both cases, a req without a clear brief or budget is a warning sign.
A clear, approved requisition prevents wasted work. Recruiters who start sourcing before approval risk losing candidates when the role is frozen. A complete req with an agreed pay range and job requirements also leads to a better intake meeting, faster time to fill and fewer surprises at offer stage.
A sales director wants two account executives. She opens two reqs in the ATS with a pay range, territory and start date. Finance approves one and puts the other on hold for a quarter. The recruiter starts sourcing for the approved req only and keeps the strongest runner up in the CRM for when the second req opens.
Req is short for requisition, an approved request to fill a specific job. Recruiters talk about their req load, meaning how many open roles they are working at one time.
A requisition is the internal approval and record for a role. A job posting is the public ad that describes the role to candidates. One req can have several postings on different sites.
There is no single right number. It depends on role complexity, hiring volume, support from coordinators and tools. High volume roles can allow many more reqs than executive or niche technical searches.
Written by recruiters at Work Insiders. Part of the recruiting and HR tech glossary. Updated October 2026.