Hiring process RACI template: who does what from requisition to start date
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A hiring process RACI chart lists every step from requisition to start date and marks, for each role, who is Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome and signs off; exactly one per step), Consulted (gives input before the decision) and Informed (is told after). In most companies the hiring manager is accountable for the hiring decision, the recruiter for the process that leads to it, finance for budget approval, and HR for compliance steps such as Form I-9, whose employer section must be completed within three business days of the first day of work according to the USCIS Handbook for Employers (as of October 2026).
Below is a RACI covering recruiter, hiring manager, coordinator, HR business partner, finance and interviewers, a text version to paste into a spreadsheet, an agency-client version, and how to roll it out. It is wider than our interview panel roles charter, which covers the seats on one panel, and different from the recruiting SLA, which sets response times once ownership is clear.
What do R, A, C and I mean in a hiring process?
- Responsible: does the work. A step can have several.
- Accountable: owns the result, makes the final call, and answers for it. Exactly one per step. The Accountable role can also be Responsible.
- Consulted: asked before the decision, in time to change it. Two-way.
- Informed: told after. One-way.
The rule that does most of the work is the single A. Steps with two Accountable roles, typically the hiring decision and the offer, are where most recruiter and hiring manager conflict starts.
The hiring process RACI chart
| Step | Recruiter | Hiring manager | Coordinator | HRBP | Finance | Interviewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Headcount approval | I | R | – | C | A | – |
| 2. Requisition and job description | C | A/R | – | C | I | – |
| 3. Pay range and posting compliance | R | C | – | A | C | – |
| 4. Intake meeting and success profile | A/R | R | I | C | – | I |
| 5. Posting and sourcing | A/R | C | – | – | – | – |
| 6. Screening | A/R | C | – | – | – | – |
| 7. Interview plan and scorecard | R | A | I | C | – | C |
| 8. Scheduling | C | I | A/R | – | – | I |
| 9. Interviews and scorecards | R | R | – | – | – | A/R for own scorecard |
| 10. Debrief and hiring decision | C | A | – | C | – | C |
| 11. References and background check | R | I | – | A | – | – |
| 12. Offer approval | R | C | – | C | A | – |
| 13. Offer, negotiation and acceptance | A/R | R | – | C | I | – |
| 14. Closing the loop with other candidates | A/R | I | R | – | – | – |
| 15. Pre-boarding paperwork and Form I-9 | I | I | R | A | – | – |
| 16. Day one and onboarding plan | I | A/R | R | C | – | – |
| 17. Close requisition and records | A/R | I | R | I | I | – |
This is a starting point, not a standard. In some companies the hiring manager's own leader approves headcount and finance is only consulted; in others HR owns the offer. Change the letters, but keep one A per row. Step 11 has legal steps of its own if a background report leads to a decision not to hire; see the FCRA background check process. Steps 1 and 12 connect to your hiring approval workflow.
Copy-ready text version
HIRING PROCESS RACI Company/team: [ ] Version: [date] Owner: [ ]
R = Responsible A = Accountable (one per row) C = Consulted I = Informed
Step Rec HM Coord HRBP Fin Intvw
1 Headcount approval I R - C A -
2 Requisition and job description C A/R - C I -
3 Pay range and posting rules R C - A C -
4 Intake and success profile A/R R I C - I
5 Posting and sourcing A/R C - - - -
6 Screening A/R C - - - -
7 Interview plan and scorecard R A I C - C
8 Scheduling C I A/R - - I
9 Interviews and scorecards R R - - - A/R
10 Debrief and decision C A - C - C
11 References and background check R I - A - -
12 Offer approval R C - C A -
13 Offer and negotiation A/R R - C I -
14 Close loop with other candidates A/R I R - - -
15 Pre-boarding and Form I-9 I I R A - -
16 Day one and onboarding I A/R R C - -
17 Close requisition and records A/R I R I I -
Escalation if a step stalls: [Recruiter -> TA lead -> HM's manager]
Response times: see recruiting SLA dated [ ]The agency-client version
When an agency fills the role, the columns change. The client keeps the decision; the agency owns the quality of what it sends. Who completes onboarding steps depends on who employs the person: the client for a permanent placement, usually the agency for a contract or temporary assignment.
| Step | Agency recruiter | Agency account manager | Client hiring manager | Client TA or HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terms of business signed | I | A/R | I | R |
| Job order intake | R | A | R | C |
| Sourcing and screening | A/R | C | – | – |
| Candidate consent to submit, per role | A/R | I | – | – |
| Submittal | R | A | I | I |
| Interview feedback to the agency | I | I | R | A |
| Hiring decision | C | C | A | C |
| Offer terms | R (relays) | C | R | A |
| Onboarding paperwork (permanent) | I | I | I | A/R |
| Onboarding paperwork (contract) | R | A | I | I |
| Guarantee period check-ins | R | A | C | I |
Put this table in the working agreement from the agency client onboarding checklist, so feedback ownership is settled before the first submittal rather than after the first silence.
Where do hiring RACI charts usually break?
- Two Accountable roles on the decision. The recruiter "owns the hire" in their goals and the manager owns it in practice. Pick one, and give the other a C with a right to challenge.
- Rejections owned by nobody. Step 14 is the one most often left blank; candidates who interviewed then hear nothing.
- Interviewers with no letter at all. If interviewers are not Accountable for their own scorecards, feedback arrives late or verbally.
- Offer negotiation split. The manager promises a number on a call the recruiter is not on. Make the recruiter A for the conversation and the manager R.
- Finance or HR as silent blockers. If they are A on approvals, they also need response times in the SLA.
Smaller teams: combining columns
A company with one recruiter and no coordinator or HR business partner merges columns: the recruiter takes the coordinator's steps, and the founder or operations lead takes the HRBP and finance steps. Keep the chart anyway. The value is not the number of columns, it is that each row has one name, which matters most when one person wears three hats and assumes someone else has the fourth.
How to roll out a RACI without a month of meetings
- Fill in the chart as things work today, honestly, including blanks and double As.
- Hold one 45-minute session with a hiring manager, a recruiter, HR and finance to resolve the conflicts.
- Publish it next to the SLA and attach it to every intake meeting.
- Review it after the next five hires: which rows caused delays or surprises?
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| More than one A per row | Two people wait for each other | Exactly one A |
| Everyone Consulted | Decisions wait for opinions | Consult only those who can change the outcome |
| Chart written by TA alone | Hiring managers do not recognize it | One joint session to agree it |
| Never revisited | The org changes, the chart does not | Review after five hires and once a year |
Questions people ask
What is a RACI chart in recruiting?
It is a table that lists each step of the hiring process and marks, for every role involved, who is Responsible for doing the work, who is Accountable for the outcome, who is Consulted before a decision and who is Informed after it. Each step has exactly one Accountable role, which is what stops tasks such as rejections or offer approvals from falling between people.
Who is accountable for the hiring decision, the recruiter or the hiring manager?
In most companies the hiring manager is accountable for the hiring decision and the recruiter is accountable for the process that leads to it: a fair, documented, timely search. The recruiter is consulted on the decision and should be able to challenge it with evidence, but the sign-off belongs to the manager who will own the hire.
How is a RACI chart different from a recruiting SLA?
A RACI says who owns each step; an SLA says how fast each side responds, such as feedback within 24 hours of an interview. They work together: the RACI makes it clear whose response the SLA is measuring, and the SLA turns ownership into a deadline.
How does a recruiting RACI work when an agency is involved?
The agency is usually accountable for sourcing, screening and the quality of its submittals, while the client stays accountable for interviews, the hiring decision and the offer terms. Steps such as reference checks, background checks and onboarding paperwork depend on who is the legal employer, which differs between a permanent placement and a contract assignment.