Employees from this generation are already self-motivated and entrepreneurial.

According to research, Gen Z is 55 percent more likely to want to start a business than Millennials.

But to motivate this group of employees at your workplace, you have to create an environment where they can build connections. 

Here are three ways you can motivate them.

1. Welcome them to the team

Help your new employees feel included as they enter the workplace by welcoming them to your team. Digital natives are motivated by relationships. If they’re connected to the people they work with, they will have a sense of loyalty to the community within your company.

Here’s an example. Let your digital native employees suggest a team outing to get to know everyone. Or work on your connection by scheduling weekly 1:1 meetings to check in with them.

2. Give them ownership of their work

No one wants to be a corporate robot — an employee who just does what they’re told. If possible, give them the ability to make decisions as they work. This gives them more ownership and accountability, which can help them feel connected to what they do.

For example, if you ask them to collect data on a topic, let them decide how it should be delivered. Give them the opportunity to iterate on their own version. They’ll take more pride in their work knowing that they’ve made their own decisions.

(And they might create something innovative.)

3. Identify their place in the bigger picture

You can ask them to work on a few spreadsheets, but what does it all lead to? Show your new employees how they influence the company with their work.

Explain the “why” behind the tasks you assign. When you assign a project, tell your employee why you’ve chosen them to complete it and how it ties to the goals of the team or the company.

Employees from this generation will be motivated to work if they feel like they have a place at your organization.

Time for a quiz.

You ask Rafi, your new employee, to put together a spreadsheet of the company’s top 10 clients in 10 different industries with statistics and trends for each. You know it’s not the most exciting work, so you explain the importance of the spreadsheet and how it’s connected to the team's goals. How else can you motivate him to complete this task?

The correct answer is D. You can explain to Rafi why the project is actually vital to the company.

Help your employee connect to the bigger picture by explaining how his work helps the company achieve its goals.

Make it a habit.

Explain the “why” behind the tasks you assign your employees. Once they feel valued and know how their work influences the company, they will be motivated to do it and contribute to the company’s success.