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Preparing to Post

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Preparing to Post

Prior to beginning the recruitment process within your department, conduct a review of the position needs, current staffing structure, budget/funding, qualifications, and requirements.

New Positions

Staff positions, excluding PEAK, Temporary, Occasional, or Seasonal, Student Employees (including graduate assistants), Faculty, and Academic positions, require:


Existing Positions

Verify the funding source will remain unchanged. If it has changed, reach out to your financial coordinator.

To accurately review the position, you will need the current position number and the job code.

To gather this information, go to PeopleSoft:

  • Click Manager Self-Service > Job Data
  • Type in the incumbent’s name or Empl ID.
  • Click Search.

The position number will be listed on the first page. The job code will be listed under the Job Information tab.

The following applies only to staff positions (excludes PEAK, temporary, occasional, or seasonal workers, student employees including graduate assistants, faculty, and academic positions).

Go to the Job Description Form in PeopleSoft. Type in the job code and click search. Review the job description to determine if the classification continues to meet department needs. If so, skip the next step and go to Submit a Preauthorization 1 Form.

If the position needs to be updated or reclassified, complete the Position Description Questionnaire form.

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Complete the Position Description Questionnaire

With the information from the previous step, complete the Position Description Questionnaire form. It should include all the essential functions of the position.

An essential function must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • The position exists to perform this duty. Removing this function would fundamentally change this position.
  • A limited number of employees are available to do the function.
  • The person in the position must have specific expertise to perform the function.

When the PDQ is complete, proceed to the next step. You will attach the PDQ, your department’s organizational chart, and the justification of the position when you complete the Preauthorization 1 Form step.

Remember, this step only applies to staff positions (excluding PEAK, temporary, occasional, or seasonal workers, student employees including graduate assistants, faculty, and academic positions).

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Submit a Preauthorization 1 Form

A Preauthorization 1, or “PA1,” is a form used to equip hiring managers to hire new employees while staying on track with the mission of the university. A PA1 is required to post a job requisition and recruit for a staff position.   Other staff personnel actions requiring a Preauthorization include changes in pay or FTE, new positions, promotions, and reclassifications. Once the Preauthorization 1 has been approved, preparations are complete, and it is now time to request to post!

A Preauthorization is not required for:

  • PEAK, temporary, occasional, or seasonal workers.
  • Student employees, including graduate assistants.
  • Faculty and academic positions

How to complete a Pre-Auth 1


Need Assistance?

Need assistance? Please reach out to our Compensation Team at HRCompensation@ou.edu.