When firms fill vacated positions or add redundant jobs, traditional routines may be triggered to help clarify the positions (e.g., job analysis, writing or updating job descrip- tions, determining selection criteria). The best entry conditions for new workers are believed to be when job expectations are well articulated, since this clarity is associated with successful assimilation, strong organi- zational commitment, and lowered intent to quit (Ostroff & Kozlowski, 1992). The organizational fit of the new employee is another aspect of the entry experience linked to these positive out- comes. New employee fit can be conceptu- alized in multiple ways, including fit with organizational values or with the demands and offerings of the job (Edwards, 1991). Fit can be improved post-hire if either the employee or the job is altered to enhance congruence. Workers with flexible jobs may adapt them to better match their personal interests or abilities (Bell & Staw, 1989; Jones, 1986), particularly if they learned during socialization that it is acceptable to do so (Ashforth & Saks, 1996; Black & Ash- ford, 1995). Conversely, workers may decide to change themselves or their personal val- ues to enhance alignment with the new job or employer (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). Most research on person-organization fit deals with documented vacancies, or exist- ing positions where expectations, tasks, and the culture of the firm are known and meas- urable. This research instead examines the hiring process in situations where the jobs OPPORTUNISTIC HIRING AND EMPLOYEE FIT Human Resource Management, Fall 2005, Vol. 44, No. 3, Pp. 301–317 © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/hrm.20072 Laurie L. Levesque Most research on selection processes and organizational fit deals with existing, unfilled positions where expectations and tasks are known and measurable. This article instead evaluates the rea- sons, processes, and implications of opportunistic hiring—hiring employees before their jobs exist. Examples from an exploratory study show how “fit” factors into selection decisions. A typol- ogy is offered along the dimensions of whether opportunistic hiring is used to meet immediate or anticipated needs and the extent to which these needs are articulated prior to selection. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Correspondence to: Laurie L. Levesque, Suffolk University, Frank Sawyer School of Management, Manage- ment Department, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 573-8389, llevesque@suffolk.edu