Configure who reviews position requests, in what order, and what the requester must provide. You need the Manage organization settings permission to change this setup.

Requesters choose New position, Position change, or Position replacement. Position change can include Change details, Suspend, Reactivate, and Eliminate. Keep the elimination workflow configured: a request combining actions must satisfy each action’s required reviews, reasons, and files.

Review starter assignments

New organizations assign the creator to the first approval step at root departments. Departments beneath them inherit the nearest configured approvers. These assignments create personal approval work and reminders.

Before using requests, open Manage approvers for each workflow and replace starter assignments with the intended people. Administrative request access does not automatically assign someone as an approver. Existing submitted requests retain their saved approvers.

Configure review steps

  1. Create and order steps for each request type. Use decision names such as Department review, rather than a current employee’s name.
  2. Assign eligible reviewers by department.
  3. Choose the default ending step for the request type.
  4. For position changes, assign fields to later steps when they need additional review.
  5. Configure reasons, justification requirements, and requester files.
  6. Test the preview and decisions with representative requests.

Each request type has one ordered sequence of steps. Departments can have different reviewers, but do not define different sequences. New organizations begin with Department manager review as step 1.

Example: add Finance review for FTE changes

Create Department review as step 1 and Finance review as step 2. Set ordinary position changes to finish after step 1, and changes to department or FTE to continue through step 2. Test a title-only change and an FTE change; their previews should show the appropriate ending step.

On the Steps page, Default route only groups fields without an extra field-specific step. It is not an additional step and does not skip the default review. A field assigned to a later step extends review through that step.

Configure reviewer coverage

Check every department that can submit each request type, inherited assignments, future department changes, reviewer absences, and time-limited access. Each action uses the department on its effective date. The requester cannot approve their own request, even if included among eligible approvers.

Normal reviewers must be assigned to the active step. Request administrators separately need the Administer active approval requests and View positions permissions for the affected department. Use administrative decisions for exceptions, not as a substitute for assigning ordinary reviewers.

Set reasons and decision requirements

Every request needs a configured Reason. Justification is optional unless required by that request type’s defaults.

In Approval settings, choose separately whether Decision rationale is required for approval and denial. A submitted request keeps the requirements selected at submission; later setup changes do not change that request’s requirements.

Create a requester file

Use named file fields for documents such as a business case or authorization form. They differ from optional additional supporting files.

  1. Open Requester files in organization settings.
  2. Enter a clear name and instructions explaining what to provide.
  3. Add an optional blank template.
  4. Wait for the template’s safety check before making the file field available.

Choose Make unavailable when a field should no longer be offered for new setup. Keep employee pay out of broadly visible position documents.

Add the file to a workflow

Open the workflow’s Requester files tab and add the file from the shared library. Choose whether it is required, its display order, and whether it appears for every request or only when review reaches a selected step or higher.

A New position file does not automatically apply to replacement or change requests. Eliminate has its own requirements. Combined requests must include files required by every included action.

A required named field needs its own upload; an additional supporting file cannot satisfy it. Named and additional files share the organization’s combined file-count and size limits.

Check file access

Blank templates require organization-settings access or eligibility to submit the related request. Submitted uploads are limited to the requester and eligible request participants. Position viewing access alone does not reveal them.

Uploads cannot be downloaded until their safety check succeeds. Approval can wait for a check, while denial remains available when the request should close.

A submitted request keeps its file names, instructions, required choices, conditions, and template references. Replacing a template or changing a requirement affects later requests. Use Activity to review setup changes.

Set response targets and backups

In Settings, then Approvals, choose a response target and whether it counts business days. The default is three business days per step. Business days are Monday through Friday, without a holiday calendar. Each request keeps its target from submission; a step’s clock starts when it becomes active.

Reminder and personal email settings control delivery separately. They do not extend the deadline. Assign someone to monitor requests needing attention, with backup coverage for absences and departures.

Test before broad use

Test each request type with an ordinary change, a change extending review, inherited department approvers, required files, and a requester who is also in an approver group. Confirm that missing reviewers or required files block submission as expected.

For combined actions, include a suspension with a return and a details change with Eliminate. Check the full preview, file access, notifications, and approved result. Position approval does not itself enter employee pay or budget rates.

When responsibilities change, update approvers and review outstanding requests. Do not keep a departed person active solely to preserve an approval assignment. Use administrative request actions for stranded submitted work.