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New Requisition Kickoff Intake Guide

A new requisition kickoff intake guide template for collecting the details recruiters need before a role is opened. Use it to align hiring managers on title, level, scope, salary, and must-have skills before posting.

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Built for: Healthcare · Saas · Manufacturing · Financial Services · Retail

Overview

This New Requisition Kickoff Intake Guide template captures the information a recruiting team needs before a role is opened, posted, or approved. It is designed for the intake meeting between recruiter, hiring manager, and any compensation or HR partners, and it organizes the conversation around the title template, role level, employment type, salary range, remote ok status, essential functions, required skills, and preferred skills.

Use it when a new headcount is approved, when backfilling an open role, or when a role changes enough that the old posting is no longer accurate. It is especially useful when the team needs to align on scope before writing the job description template, because intake mistakes often turn into sourcing delays, mismatched candidates, or offer revisions later. The guide also helps teams document ADA essential functions and separate must-have qualifications from nice-to-have skills.

Do not use it as a generic brainstorming worksheet. If the role is already fully defined and only needs a minor posting refresh, a lighter edit may be enough. It is also not a substitute for legal or compensation review when the role has exempt/non-exempt implications, location-based pay rules, or other policy requirements. The value of the template is in forcing early decisions, reducing ambiguity, and producing a requisition brief that can be turned into a posting without rework.

Standards & compliance context

  • The template supports ADA-aligned documentation by prompting teams to define essential functions before they write the posting.
  • It helps reduce bias in job descriptions by separating required skills from preferred skills and avoiding unnecessary seniority language.
  • It can be used to confirm FLSA exempt or non-exempt classification before the requisition is published.
  • It supports compensation transparency workflows by capturing salary range, pay type, and location constraints early in the process.
  • It aligns with SHRM-style job description structure by organizing scope, responsibilities, qualifications, and posting details in one intake.

General regulatory context for orientation only — verify current requirements with counsel or the relevant agency before relying on this template for compliance.

How to use this template

  1. Start by entering the basic requisition details, including {company_name}, {department}, title template, role level, employment type, location, and whether the role is remote ok.
  2. Review the role scope with the hiring manager and capture the top outcomes, essential functions, reporting line, and any team or project context that affects the posting.
  3. Define the compensation and approval details, including salary range, pay type, exempt or non-exempt status if relevant, start timing, and any required sign-offs.
  4. List 5 to 8 required skills and 3 to 5 preferred skills, then separate true must-haves from items that can be learned on the job.
  5. Confirm sourcing and screening instructions, such as interview stages, knockout questions, portfolio needs, certifications, or background checks that apply to the role.
  6. Review the completed intake with all stakeholders, resolve open questions, and convert the final notes into the job description template and requisition record.

Best practices

  • Use a searchable title template that matches how candidates actually look for the role, such as Senior Site Reliability Engineer instead of a branded or playful title.
  • Write essential functions as observable work outputs, not vague traits, so the intake supports ADA-aligned job documentation.
  • Keep required skills focused on the minimum capabilities needed to perform the job on day one, and move everything else into preferred skills.
  • Confirm salary range before posting, especially for locations with pay transparency rules, so the requisition does not stall during approval.
  • Document role level and experience level separately from tenure language, because seniority should reflect scope and responsibility, not years alone.
  • Capture remote ok, shift, travel, and onsite expectations in the intake so the posting does not overpromise flexibility.
  • Ask the hiring manager to rank the top three outcomes for the first 90 days, which helps recruiters screen for impact instead of keyword matching.

What this template typically catches

Issues teams running this template most often surface in practice:

The hiring manager wants a senior title, but the actual scope fits a mid-level role.
The salary range is missing or too narrow for the location and level.
The intake reveals that the role is really two jobs combined into one requisition.
Required skills include items that are actually preferred, which makes sourcing harder than it needs to be.
Remote ok status is unclear, causing confusion in the posting and candidate screening.
The essential functions are written as duties rather than the actual work the person must perform.
The team has not agreed on interview criteria, so different interviewers screen for different things.

Common use cases

Healthcare Operations Requisition
A hospital HR team uses the intake guide to define a patient-facing operations role with shift coverage, onsite expectations, and essential functions that support ADA documentation. It also helps them confirm whether the role is full_time, part_time, or prn before posting.
SaaS Engineering Backfill
A recruiting partner uses the guide to align a software engineering backfill on title, level, required skills, and salary range before the job description is drafted. This prevents the team from posting a vague requisition that attracts the wrong seniority level.
Manufacturing Supervisor Opening
An operations manager and recruiter use the template to document shift requirements, travel, and essential functions for a plant supervisor role. The intake keeps the posting aligned with the actual working conditions and screening criteria.
Financial Services Compliance Role
A talent acquisition team uses the guide to capture licensing needs, exempt classification review, and approval steps for a regulated finance position. The template helps ensure the requisition is ready for compliance review before it goes live.

Frequently asked questions

What is this template used for?

This template is used to gather the core information needed to open a new job requisition with fewer back-and-forth questions. It helps recruiters and hiring managers align on the title template, role level, employment type, salary range, essential functions, and required skills before the job is posted. The result is a cleaner intake conversation and a more accurate requisition record.

Who should run the kickoff intake?

A recruiter, talent acquisition partner, or recruiting coordinator usually runs the intake, with the hiring manager and any approvers present. For regulated or specialized roles, HR, compensation, or legal may also need to review the details. The template works best when one person owns the meeting and captures decisions in real time.

How often should this guide be used?

Use it every time a new requisition is created, even for backfill roles. It is also useful when a role changes materially, such as a shift in level, location, employment type, or reporting line. Reusing the same intake structure keeps approvals and posting details consistent across openings.

Does this template help with compliance?

Yes, it supports better documentation for ADA essential functions, bias-free job descriptions, and compensation transparency where required. It also helps teams separate required skills from preferred skills, which reduces the risk of overloading the posting with unnecessary criteria. For exempt roles, it can prompt review of FLSA classification before the req is published.

What are the most common mistakes this intake guide prevents?

It helps prevent vague job titles, unclear salary ranges, mismatched role levels, and oversized requirements lists. It also reduces the risk of posting a role before the team agrees on remote ok status, location constraints, or the actual outcomes the person will own. Those issues often create delays later in sourcing and offer approval.

Can this be customized for different departments or industries?

Yes, the template is meant to be adapted by department, function, and industry. You can swap in role-specific essential functions, add approval steps for finance or healthcare, and tailor the required skill set for each job family. The structure stays the same even when the content changes.

How does this compare with ad hoc intake notes?

Ad hoc notes often miss key fields like salary range, employment type, or preferred skills, which leads to inconsistent postings and repeated clarification. This template gives the team a repeatable structure so every requisition starts with the same baseline information. That makes it easier to compare roles, route approvals, and publish faster.

What should be finalized before the job is posted?

Before posting, confirm the title template, role level, experience level, salary range, location or remote ok status, and the top essential functions. You should also confirm the required skills, preferred skills, and any screening criteria that will be used by recruiters or hiring managers. If the role is exempt, make sure the classification review is complete.

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