Apply for Abode's first-ever Early-Career Engagement Awards. Learn More
eBay is among the top 20 programs in the country to be recognized for excellence in Early-Career Engagement. Their application demonstrated excellence in crafting intentional keep-warm strategies, building community, preventing reneges, fostering mentorship, and successfully converting interns to full-time roles. Below, you’ll find the highlights of their award-winning application including the proudest achievements of their early-career engagement strategies.
Abode is proud to recognize eBay for their strong approach to early-career engagement.
Read what this organization had to say about their winning strategies.
“Our team transformed pre-start engagement from a series of disconnected emails into a modern, high-touch experience built in Abode. Starting months before day one, interns received a welcome newsletter, followed by a structured cadence of bite-sized tasks, curated resources, swag, and milestone-based updates designed to reduce overwhelm and build excitement. We also created space for interns to connect early through forums, profile directories, and cohort conversations, helping community form before anyone arrived on campus. By pairing intentional content with engagement tracking and automated touchpoints, we created a scalable experience that helped interns feel informed, connected, and prepared to start at eBay.”
“Our team embedded community-building directly into the pre-start journey so interns felt connected long before arriving on campus. Through Abode, interns joined cohort-specific forums, built profiles, introduced themselves to peers, and participated in interactive prompts and discussions throughout the spring. We reinforced engagement through recurring touchpoints, spotlight content, and intentional conversation starters that kept interactions active leading up to day one. Instead of showing up as strangers, many interns arrived already recognizing names, building friendships, and feeling part of the eBay community. The result was a more connected, confident cohort from the very start.”
This organization had one of the lowest renege rates among their peers who applied.
In their application, they cited ensuring candidates clearly understand their compensation and benefits before accepting, regular communication with new hires between acceptance and start date, and providing relocation or logistical support early as the top 3 reasons for their low rate.
“For over three years, our “Connect With an eBayer” program has paired incoming Recent College Graduates (RCGs) with current eBay RCGs before day one to create early connection, mentorship, and confidence. We’re especially proud of how intentional the matching experience has become, pairing RCGs with eBayers who share similar roles, backgrounds, or career paths. Feedback showed 87.5% of participants felt more confident about starting at eBay after their first conversation, with many highlighting how meaningful it was to connect with someone who had recently navigated the same transition themselves. The program continues to create authentic, human connections before employees even start.”
This organization had one of the top internship to full-time conversion rates among their peers.
“Our internship program is designed to immerse interns in real full-time work from day one. Interns contribute to meaningful projects that directly support eBay teams, with many helping build features, initiatives, and solutions that go live. Throughout the summer, interns receive structured support through manager guidance, midpoint evaluations, professional development programming, and opportunities to connect with leaders and peers across the company. By combining real ownership with intentional community-building and visibility into long-term growth at eBay, interns leave the program feeling confident in their impact, connected to the company, and excited to return full-time.”
