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I talk to a lot of HR and TA teams every week in sales demos, needs calls, and live Q&As. And I hear the same thing over and over again: “Our job description approval process is a mess.”
One org had a 7-step JD review that needed city council sign-off. No joke. By the time it cleared approvals, the hiring manager had already found someone to hire they had met at a conference. Weeks wasted. No accountability. And a job description no one would ever look at again.
Why is the job description approval process so slow?
Most teams I talk to are stuck using tools that were never meant for this. Think Word docs, Google Drive, email, and Excel. Maybe even a SharePoint graveyard. The process isn’t broken because people are lazy. It’s broken because it’s stitched together with the tools everyone has used through the years.
Here’s a mash-up of what I’ve heard lately:
- One org has manual, multi-layer approvals (including exec or council sign-off) with no version tracking.
- Another has 20 different JD versions floating in Google Drive. No one knows which is final.
- And some teams rely on a single HR person managing a master Excel tracker. If they’re out sick, the whole thing stops.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.
3 signs your JD approval process is costing you
- It takes longer to approve the JD than to fill the job. I’ve seen reqs sit for weeks because they’re waiting on comp, legal, or a VP who’s on vacation.
- No one knows which version is final. There’s a doc with 13 comments. A PDF someone printed. A legal redline from three months ago. Which one wins?
- There’s no audit trail. You think a JD was updated to meet new pay transparency laws, but no one can prove it. That’s risky.
Here’s what a better approval process looks like
When I take folks through Ongig’s JD workflow, this is what we focus on fixing:
- Centralized JD library — Every job description in one searchable place, not 10 folders and inboxes.
- Automated workflows — No more chasing approvals by email. Each person gets notified in Text Analyzer. You can track where it’s stuck.
- Version comparison — You see what changed, who changed it, and when. No more guesswork.
- Audit trail — Everything’s logged. You’re ready for comp reviews or legal audits.
Teams who switch to this model go from weeks of JD bottlenecks to same-day approvals. And it’s not magic. It’s just a process that was built for the real world of HR.
Why I Wrote This
I wrote this because I keep hearing the same JD approval headaches on demo after demo. If you’re living this right now, we can help. Ongig automates your JD workflow from draft to final approval: with all the tracking and flexibility you need.
Request a demo if you want to stop playing JD ping-pong and start filling roles faster.
FAQs
What is a job description approval process?
It’s the internal workflow for reviewing and approving job descriptions before posting. This can include HR, hiring managers, compensation, and legal.
Why is the JD approval process important?
Because it ensures job descriptions are accurate, compliant, and aligned with company standards before going live.
How can I improve my JD approval process?
Centralize your JDs, automate workflows, enable version tracking, and keep an audit trail for compliance.
Who should approve job descriptions?
Typically HR or TA owns the process, with input from hiring managers, comp/benefits, and legal when needed.
Can Ongig help with JD approvals?
Yes. Ongig includes approval workflows, change tracking, and audit logs to make the process smooth and compliant.
