Extract Single Instance selects one record from a multi-instance relationship. A worker can have several time-off requests; a position can have several candidates. Filter that collection to the relevant records, then sort it so the selected instance has a stated business meaning. Latest approved absence and first applicant are different extraction rules.
Use a stable ID after the date when two instances tie. Without that tie-breaker, a later report can appear to change merely because source ordering changed. No matching instance should remain empty. Extracting an arbitrary request and checking its status afterward can lose a valid older request, so apply the approval filter before selecting the latest instance. The extraction can return an instance for a later lookup or a field on the selected record.