eBay is offering new opportunities for full-time employees to work from home via the eBay@Home program, the online commerce company announced Thursday. The program is anticipated to create nearly 300 remote, full-time customer service jobs by the end of the year, with 120 located in the United States.
The program was successfully launched in Ireland last year; now the company is hiring 40 employees in Akron, Ohio, where earlier this year they launched their Retail Revival initiative aimed moving local businesses online.
“eBay@Home will allow us to get closer to our customers in the communities in which they live and work to better serve their needs,” said Paul Gazeley, head of North America customer service operations at eBay, in a statement. “The caliber of applicants in the Akron area has exceeded our expectations, and we’re thrilled to officially welcome our first new hires into the eBay family.”
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, some 1,300 people applied for the 40 eBay@Home positions in Akron. All new hires will receive locally competitive pay, health care, a 401(k), and paid time off. Employees for the eBay@Home program will also receive a computer, two monitors, a stipend to aid with the cost of high-speed internet, and five weeks of paid virtual training.
Aside from the new hires in Akron, eBay is inviting 80 existing customer service employees in Salt Lake City and Austin to transition to the eBay@Home program in their own areas. The company said it plans to expand the program into other cities next year.