Learn How to Manage Job Positions

Job Position Management

Position Management is a continuous process where you recruit, hire, and terminate employees for approved positions. Properly managing these positions is important because it provides accurate information about our workforce, which helps guide budgeting decisions. Make sure to handle the positions you oversee carefully.

Workday uses position numbers (like P123457) to help manage jobs within the system. The Position Management feature builds on this by attaching these position numbers (P-numbers) to approved job requests, which are called requisitions and identified by R-numbers.

Overview Video

  • Position Management at UVA - Medical Center

    An overview of position management and the important decisions and actions related to the process.

    Watch Overview Video

Create Job Requisition

To get approval for hiring someone for an existing or new position, use the "Create Job Requisition" task in Workday. A job requisition (R-number) represents a position (P-number) that has been planned, budgeted, and approved by LMST. Before creating a job requisition, make sure to ask yourself these key questions to ensure you start the process correctly:

Termination

When an employee is leaving the organization, you will carry out the Termination business process in Workday to formalize the end of their employment and either close or keep the position open to fill. Throughout the process, you will be asked several very important questions. It is important that you make the correct decisions based on your needs:

  • How early can/should I process the termination in Workday?

    It's best to process an employee’s termination as soon as they give notice because you can set the termination date for the future.

    Job Aid - Termination

  • Do I close the position or keep it open?

    If you plan to fill this position within 30 days of the employee's termination, you may keep it open so that you can use it in a job requisition later.

    After submitting the Termination process, complete the Create Job Requisition (see above) business process within 30 days and proceed through the standard LMST budget approval process to backfill. If this position is no longer needed, or if you will not be backfilling, check the box to close the position in Workday.

    *If you keep the position open but do not take action to gain LMST budget approval to reuse the position within 30 days, the system will automatically close it on your behalf.*

    Job Aid - Close Position

  • Do I mark the position as available for overlap?

    If you will be backfilling this position before the current employee is terminated and you wish for two people to hold the position simultaneously (e.g., cross-training), you can mark the position for overlap by checking the appropriate box in Workday. You will then be allowed to use this position for a requisition before the current employee's date of termination.

  • What if my employee is transferring?

    Transfers are carried out through the Change Job process by Human Resources. You do not need to terminate an employee that is transferring within the University. You must still decide to close a position (or keep it open) and decide if the position should be made available for overlap.

    Job Aid - Change Job

Ongoing Review and Position Clean Up

It is best practice to regularly review your P-numbers to ensure they are associated with an R-number with LMST budget approval. You can use the Position and Job Requisition Details by Organization report in Workday to review your open positions and associated R-numbers:

Position Staffing Status Open or Future Job Requisition
PXXXXXX Business Intelligence Lead (Unfilled) Open

 
PXXXXXX Business Intelligence Analyst (Unfilled) Open R0062769 Business Intelligence Analyst (Open)

If there is an open P-number that is not associated with an R-number, you may use the "Close Position" task in Workday to close the position if you do not intend to use it in a requisition. 

Workday will automatically close any open positions after 30 days of an outgoing employee's termination date if they are not associated with a requisition. If you intend to reuse the position, ensure you gain LMST budget approval within 30 days.

Position and Job Requisition Details by Organization Close Position Job Aid - Close Position Create a Job Requisition Job Aid - Job Requisition

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the purpose of implementing Workday Position Management?

    Workday is set up to manage job positions using position numbers, like P123457. Position management takes this existing setup further by linking these position numbers (P-numbers) to approved job requests, called requisitions, which have their own R-numbers. By following this standardized process, we can keep track of our workforce needs more accurately, providing valuable information for planning and budgeting decisions.

  • What is the purpose of the Labor Management & Strategy Team (LMST)?

    The LMST seeks to optimize the workforce through holistically assessing requests to fill vacancies, and to enhance coordination of resources, in support of proactive identification of workforce needs overall.

  • What is an ‘Unavailable to Fill’ position?

    An "Unavailable to Fill" position is marked with a P-number, like P123457. These positions have not been approved by LMST and are not currently being recruited for.

    These positions need to be reviewed and updated to ensure that Workday accurately shows our filled and approved open positions, which helps calculate correct vacancy rates.

  • What is an ‘Available to Fill’ position?

    An Available to Fill position is represented by a R-number, for example R000678. R-numbers are attached to a P-number that has been approved by LMST. R-numbers are approved for recruitment. R-numbers are also called requisitions. 

  • What is a ‘Job Posting’?

    The Job Posting is the official advertisement online and is used to recruit applicants to available positions, also known as requisitions or R-numbers. A single Job Posting may have several requisitions attached to it. Not every requisition will generate a Job Posting. For example, a single Job Posting for ‘Transporter’ may have 10 requisitions attached to it meaning the single Job Posting is being used to fill 10 Transporter vacancies. 

  • What happens if a P-number is closed by mistake, and we would like to re-open it?

    To re-open a closed P-number, the HRBP will email AskHR@virginia.edu with the subject: "Re-open required for medical center p-number."

    Include the P-number and the name of the manager making the request. If the intention is to make the position available to fill, the hiring manager will need to create a requisition and submit through the LMST process for approval. 

  • How do we maintain better position control in the system and prevent these issues from happening?

    An ongoing system integration will be put into place beginning in September 2024 to close P-numbers automatically. Each day, the integration will look for P-numbers that are not associated with an R-number and have been vacant/never filled for 30 days. These P-numbers will be automatically closed on a rolling 30-day basis. This system integration functions as a system safety net to maintain better position control.