Cannot create a position
Check access, subscription capacity, required setup, and open proposed positions when the create action is unavailable or blocked.
Updated September 11, 2026
In this article
Creating a position can be blocked by access, subscription capacity, missing structural setup, or the organization’s limit on open proposed positions.
Before you begin
| Activity | Permission and scope required |
|---|---|
| Create or edit a draft | Manage positions for the intended department. |
| Submit the draft as a request | Submit position requests plus View positions for the affected department. |
Check access
Confirm that you have the Manage positions permission for the intended department and that the department is available on the selected date.
If Create position is missing entirely, compare your access roles and department coverage with the built-in roles listed above. Department requester includes the permissions to create or edit a position draft and submit it as a request.
If the action appears but the intended department is missing, confirm:
- your access covers that department;
- the department is available on the position start date; and
- a higher-level department scope includes lower-level departments when your organization expects it to.
Do not ask for organization-administrator access merely to solve one missing department. Use the narrow role and coverage needed for the work.
Check required setup
Confirm that the intended department, job code, work schedule, position numbering, and required fields are available. The form identifies missing choices when possible.
Check the choices for the exact effective date. A job code or work schedule that is available today may be unavailable on a future position start date.
| Missing choice | What to review |
|---|---|
| Department | Department availability and your department coverage |
| Job code | General and department availability on the position date |
| Work schedule | Schedule availability on the position date |
| Reports-to position | Its department, availability, and whether the relationship would create a loop |
| Custom field choice | Whether the setup choice is available |
| External position ID | Whether the field is enabled, required, and unique |
If a required custom field is unclear, ask the owner of that organization field what value is approved. Do not enter a placeholder just to save the draft.
Check capacity and open work
An organization can have a limit on active positions and a separate limit on open proposed positions. Review billing capacity and close abandoned proposed work before creating a duplicate.
Search positions and requests before closing anything. A proposed position may already exist under a different title or in another request view.
Example: open proposed-position limit
The organization has capacity for active positions but has reached the allowed number of open position proposals. Review draft and active new-position requests. Close only abandoned work. Do not duplicate a valid proposal or cancel another person’s request merely to free a slot.
Check the draft and request status
A position draft can be blocked when related proposed work is already active or when the draft no longer matches current setup.
- Search for the position number.
- Review open requests for the same draft.
- Confirm the request is not already submitted, denied, cancelled, or invalidated.
- If a submitted proposal needs correction, close it and create the corrected proposal as directed.
- Review organization setup changes made after the draft began.
Try a focused safe check
Create no new records during this check. Open the form and confirm whether the block occurs:
- before the form opens;
- when selecting a department or setup choice;
- when saving the draft; or
- when submitting the request.
The stage identifies the likely cause. Access or capacity often hides or blocks creation before saving, while missing values and conflicting setup are normally explained on the form.
Get more help
Contact Support if the required setup, access, and capacity are available but the create action remains missing or the form still cannot be saved. Include the department and the message shown.
Also include the intended effective date, whether you were creating or copying, the step where the block occurred, and whether the same action works for another authorized department. Do not include protected employee or compensation information.