Logistics company DHL has taken its esports-based hiring campaign to China, extending a programme that uses gaming events to find new employees.
The campaign is run in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), an esports and video game entertainment company and will begin at Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Beijing 2026, one of the largest Counter-Strike esports events in Asia.
DHL explained that the campaign works by meeting gamers where they already spend their time. DHL produces esports-related content and runs activities at events, including Dispatch, a comedy series built around Counter-Strike. It also tells stories about its staff and workplace culture on social media. Each of these directs fans to dedicated DHL career websites, where they can read about the company, browse vacancies and apply for jobs.
The jobs promoted cover a range of areas, including operations, IT and engineering, as well as student programmes. Beyond filling positions, DHL says the effort is meant to make the company better known among young, digitally minded people who may become future applicants.
The company also highlighted that China is a natural place for the expansion. The country has nearly 220 million esports fans and more than 75 percent of EFG’s Chinese fans are between 18 and 29 years old. This gives DHL access to young people who are comfortable with technology and spend much of their time online, the kind of people the company wants to hire.
Arjan Sissing, Senior Vice President Global Brand Marketing at DHL Group, said, “What makes this audience particularly valuable is that it represents both future talent and future customers. Esports fans are digital natives whose behaviors increasingly shape the future of commerce, technology and global business. By expanding our employer branding activities into China, we’re strengthening our connection with a community that is highly relevant to DHL’s long-term growth ambitions in one of our most important markets.”
Jochen Lampe-Merian, Vice President Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition, DHL Group, said, “To keep pace with the future of logistics, we need to reach future talent in innovative and candidate-focused ways. Our esports employer branding program has proven that we can successfully connect with audiences who are digital-first, globally connected and curious about new career opportunities.”
Recruiting through esports events and organisations is becoming more common and DHL’s move into China follows a number of similar efforts. Just a few days ago, physical AI data and deployment firm Mecka introduced an unconventional talent acquisition campaign built around the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds) finals.
Back in June 2026, the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) signed an agreement with the Korea University Department of International Sport Science to develop talent for the esports industry and promote education that links industry with universities. Around the same time, PlayVS, North America’s leading school and college gaming platform, also launched PlayVS Recruit, turning the esports scene into a large-scale recruitment network.
