(Yicai Global) May 6 -- JD.Com has brought onboard a diverse range of recruits  including drone flight service providers and e-sports players as the  Chinese tech giant looks to tap emerging markets, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

The new additions mark the  Shenzhen-based firm's first step towards recruiting 15,000 employees  this year in accordance with plans set out in March.

With a starting annual salary of CNY1 million (USD149,000) per year, the  position of e-sports player is much sought-after among China's  Generation Z. JD set up an e-sports team called JDG in 2017 and has  League of Legends and Player Unknown's Battlegrounds divisions.

Other new recruits include 'freshness seekers' tasked with bolstering the firm's food product offerings.

The company nearly doubled its registered capital in e-sports unit Jingdong  Xingyu Gaming Culture Communication to CNY110 million on April 25. The  subsidiary also expanded its scope to food sales, catering and internet  access.

Drone flight service provider is a new  position for the industry and expands on the role of pilot.  Responsibilities include conducting system controls, route-planning,  transportation scheduling, drone disassembly, routine maintenance and  other services.

The firm has flight service  bases in Suqian, Jiangsu province and Xi'an, Shaanxi province. JD  earmarked CNY50 million for the 1,400 square-meter Suqian facility, of  which CNY10 million has already been invested. It features a  construction area and offers teaching, simulation exercises, disassembly  and internships. There is also an outdoor area spanning 200 acres  allowing up to 150 people to conduct practical training.

The firm's new 'freshness seekers' will visit high-quality fresh produce  sources globally and directly buy them for JD's stores, providing  consumers with high-quality foods at an affordable price. 

JD began selecting fresh products according to customers' needs in 2016  when it set up a professional search team of about 200 people to engage  with multinational governments and enterprises.

The company has also brought in 'intelligent customer service system  experts' to teach robots to speak. They are dedicated to building  intelligent customer service robot apps and setting up human-machine  dialogue programs for customer service scenarios.

Editor: William Clegg