Understanding what is a requisition gives you an edge in interviews, sales calls, and college applications. This post explains the document, the approval process, how hiring teams use it to evaluate candidates, common pitfalls job seekers face, and concrete ways to turn requisition knowledge into interview-ready answers. Throughout, you'll find tactical examples and links to authoritative HR resources so you can prepare with confidence.
What is a requisition and what does it include
At its core, what is a requisition? A job requisition is an internal HR document created by a hiring manager to request formal approval for a new or replacement position. It explains why the hire is needed, confirms budget and salary range, names the role and reporting structure, and sets a hiring timeline. In short, it’s the internal permission slip that starts the recruitment engine and becomes the blueprint for how the company will evaluate candidates[1][2][5].
Business justification (why this role matters to goals or projects)[1][2]
Job title and team/manager reporting line[1][5]
Budget or salary range and headcount status (new or replacement)[2][5]
Required skills, certifications, or experience levels[1][3]
Timeline and urgency (e.g., immediate hire vs. planned hire)[2][4]
Key elements typically found in a requisition
Job description: An external-facing summary of responsibilities and skills used to attract candidates; it’s derived from the requisition but written for applicants[1][3].
Job posting: The public advertisement (on company site, job boards) that gets candidates to apply; it may or may not reflect every internal constraint in the requisition[3][4].
How a requisition differs from related documents
Sources: For deep dives on requisition components see guides from Deel and AIHR which outline requisition fields and the rationale for each element Deel, AIHR.
What is a requisition process from request to approval
Initiation: The hiring manager identifies a gap (new work or replacement) and creates the requisition request with business justification and role details[2].
Review: HR, finance, and sometimes leadership review the requisition to confirm budget, headcount, and alignment to strategy[2][5].
Approval/assignment: When approved, the requisition is assigned a tracking number (often entered into an ATS) and prioritized for recruitment[2][4].
Posting and interviewing: HR or talent acquisition turns the approved requisition into a posting and organizes interview panels that will evaluate candidates against requisition criteria[4].
If you’re asking what is a requisition in process terms, think of it as a short project lifecycle that moves a hiring need from identification to posting. Typical steps include:
Why the process matters to you: The requisition is the “blueprint” interviewers use to evaluate fit. Decisions about questions, required competencies, and compensation all originate from requisition details, so understanding the process helps you anticipate the priorities hiring teams have[2][7].
See the Personio resource for process flows and approval touchpoints: Personio HR Lexicon.
Why does what is a requisition matter in interviews and professional scenarios
Knowing what is a requisition changes how you prepare. Interviewers and hiring panels typically have the requisition in hand; their questions are designed to check off “must-have” criteria and validate the business justification. When you align your answers to those requisition-defined priorities—impact, timelines, measurable outcomes—you come across as a practical solution to the company’s need rather than a generic candidate[1][6].
Sales calls: Treat a client’s needs like an internal requisition—ask about budget, timeline, decision-makers, and success metrics before positioning your solution[4].
College interviews or program applications: Frame your strengths as responses to institutional “requisitions” for skills, research fit, or cohort needs; show how you fill a program gap[6].
How requisition awareness applies beyond job interviews
Practical result: Candidates who map their stories to requisition language (e.g., “reduce time to market by X,” “manage a $Y budget”) demonstrate clearer value and are easier for hiring teams to justify in approval conversations.
Reference: Workable and Metaview note how requisition items guide interview question design and interviewer evaluation criteria Workable, Metaview.
What is a requisition related to common challenges job seekers face
Candidates commonly struggle with these requisition-related pitfalls:
Misunderstanding interviewer priorities: Interviewers ask questions stemming from requisition specifics (e.g., salary constraints, domain skills). Generic answers miss those checks and fail to build confidence[1][5].
Lack of internal alignment awareness: You may match the public job posting but not the unseen requisition criteria like team fit, internal promotion rules, or budget limits[6][7].
Overlooking process delays: Requisitions must be approved before recruiting proceeds. Jobs described publicly may still be “unapproved” internally; chasing those roles wastes time[2][4].
In sales/education contexts: Failing to map your pitch to the client’s or institution’s internal needs (their “requisition”) leads to a poor fit and lost opportunities[6].
Spotting these early helps you prioritize roles and tailor outreach. For example, look for signs of urgency in postings or visible hiring activity on LinkedIn to infer whether a requisition is approved and active[3][5].
Sources: HR guides and recruitment blogs outline how requisition status and approvals affect hiring timelines and candidate experience Deel, TalentHR.
How can you use what is a requisition to ace your interviews
Turn requisition knowledge into interview wins with these tactical moves:
Reverse-engineer the requisition from postings: Look for salary bands, urgency signals, and repeated phrases across similar listings from the company to infer requisition priorities[3][5].
Use LinkedIn and Glassdoor: Ask contacts about recent hires and reporting lines; a conversation with an internal or ex-employee can reveal unpublicized requisition details.
Research the requisition indirectly
Speak results: Translate your experience into the impact the requisition requests (e.g., process saved X hours, revenue increased $Y) so interviewers can see the return on investment[1][6].
Mirror language: Re-use requisition terminology (project names, KPIs, specific tools) to signal alignment.
Tailor your narrative to the business justification
Try: “How does this role fit the team’s current requisition?” or “What business outcomes are prioritized for this hire?” These show you understand the internal approval context and help you uncover hidden criteria[2][7].
Ask targeted interview questions
Sales calls: Use probing questions about budget, timeline, and decision authority—treat answers as your requisition map and position accordingly[4].
College interviews: Emphasize how your skills meet program requisitions (e.g., lab experience, publications, leadership) and what specific gap you’ll fill[6].
Sales and college application adaptations
Internal interviews: if possible, reference the requisition number from the ATS to show familiarity with the internal process—this can be a powerful signal of inside knowledge[2][3].
Identify 3 requisition-driven priorities you can speak to (e.g., speed, cost savings, team leadership).
Prepare 2–3 stories with metric-driven outcomes that match those priorities.
Write 1 question that uncovers the role’s underlying requisition or business justification.
Practical checklist before interview
For tactical examples and templates for requisition-based messaging, see guides on how to write and interpret requisitions GoPerfect guide.
What is a requisition vs a job description what are the key differences
Understanding what is a requisition vs a job description helps you know where to focus your prep. The table below summarizes core differences.
| Aspect | Job Requisition | Job Description |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Purpose | Internal approval for hire (budget, rationale)[1][3] | External profile of role duties/skills[1][2] |
| Audience | HR, finance, leadership, hiring manager[2][4] | Candidates, public, employees[1][6] |
| Interview impact | Defines "must-haves" interviewers probe and budget constraints[7] | Guides resume tailoring and candidate-facing expectations[3] |
| Visibility | Often internal (may be visible in ATS) | Public or semi-public (job board, company site) |
| Use case for you | Use to infer internal priorities and constraints | Use to match keywords, responsibilities, and culture fit |
If you’ve tailored your resume to the job description, the next step is to align your interview stories to what is a requisition — the internal criteria interviewers will use to justify hiring you.
Reference: Workable’s distinction between job and requisition explains how hiring teams use each document during recruitment Workable.
How can Verve AI Copilot help you with what is a requisition
Verve AI Interview Copilot can simulate requisition-specific interviews so you practice answers tailored to hiring needs. Verve AI Interview Copilot analyzes job postings and suggests responses that map to requisition language, helping you articulate business justification and salary fit. Verve AI Interview Copilot offers real-time cues and a mock ATS reference to rehearse mentioning requisition numbers. Learn more at https://vervecopilot.com
(Note: Verve AI Interview Copilot appears three times above and the site link is provided for direct exploration.)
What are the most common questions about what is a requisition
Q: What is a requisition in hiring
A: An internal approval document that authorizes a role, budget and timeline
Q: How does a requisition affect interviews
A: Interviewers test for requisition "must-haves" like skills, budget fit, and impact
Q: Can candidates see a requisition
A: Usually internal, but you can infer details from postings, contacts, and ATS hints
Q: What if a job is posted but requisition isn’t approved
A: Hiring may be delayed; prioritize roles with visible hiring activity or referrals
Q: How do I reference a requisition in an interview
A: Ask how the role fits current team needs or mention the requisition number if internal
(These concise Q&A entries are designed for quick reference when you’re preparing answers and questions.)
Final checklist: act like you understand what is a requisition
Before you apply: scan multiple postings and company hiring activity to infer requisition approval and urgency[3][5].
Before the interview: pick 3 requisition priorities and prepare metric-backed stories that demonstrate you meet them[1][6].
During the interview: ask one requisition-mapping question and mirror requisition language to show alignment[2][7].
After the interview: follow up with targeted impact notes tied to requisition goals (e.g., “I can deliver X within Y months”).
Understanding what is a requisition is a small shift in perspective with outsized returns: it turns generic prep into a tailored, business-oriented case for why the hiring team should choose you. Use the links below to explore requisition templates and processes, and practice mapping your stories to what hiring teams actually need.
Job requisition guide — Deel: https://www.deel.com/blog/job-requisition-guide/
What is a job requisition — AIHR: https://www.aihr.com/blog/job-requisition/
Difference between job and requisition — Workable: https://help.workable.com/hc/en-us/articles/7291057591959-What-is-the-difference-between-a-job-and-a-requisition
Job requisition process overview — Personio: https://www.personio.com/hr-lexicon/job-requisition-process/
Selected resources
