In the old days (and by that we mean “pre-2000”), the opportunity to create content was a bit limited. Sure, the average person could create, but there were fewer tools available, fewer outlets to distribute your work, and in general, fewer opportunities to see what is possible. Content creation was either done by professionals or as a personal hobby…creating and sharing was more the exception than the rule.

All of that has changed, leading to a reset of our concept of “content creation.” Not only do tools exist for everyone — a camera in nearly every phone, pre-packaged software for editing photos and music and movies, the ability to carry tons of computing power everywhere — we also have distribution channels that encourage creation and invite critique. You can blog, post on YouTube, Instagram, ModelMayhem, wherever; you can submit a story to be published on CNN; you can publish online courses on platforms like Udemy. The ratio between content creators and content consumers is shifting heavily toward to creator side of the equation.

Though we often associate this reset with millennials, the reality is that creative revolutions like this have happened for past generations too, and will happen again in the future. For example, as cable TV expanded and niche channels developed (how many Discovery Channels are there now, anyway?) the opportunities increased for the creation of traditional media, and we took advantage of that. Of course, you still needed resources, but with those you could challenge even the most established leaders in an industry…remember in the US a couple decades ago when nobody thought Fox would last against NBC, ABC and CBS?

But now you do not need to be Rupert Murdoch. You can create content and put it out there and have it go viral, leading to fleeting fame even shorter than Andy Warhol’s famous 15 minutes, but it’s not the fame itself that matters; it’s the thrill of creating and publishing it.

And isn’t that the kind of excitement you want from your employees?

Particularly in knowledge work or a creative industry, you want people who do what they do for more than just the paycheck. Your most enthusiastic employees will be those who create for the thrill of it rather than creating for the paycheck. The smartest recruiting you can do is to find employees who have already developed their talents on their own and now need you to help them focus that enthusiasm in a way that is good for them and for your firm. Once you get them on board you need to help them feed the fires of their passion and try to keep them from burning out or getting bored.

First, be very careful about limiting access to distribution channels at work. Plenty of companies have tried shutting off access to Facebook, YouTube, and other sites because they claimed it eats up their broadband and, more importantly, eats up their employees’ time. That has rarely turned out well. Consider how seeing others’ work can spark new ideas in your employee’ minds, and their critiques of what others are doing can sharpen their critical thinking skills. Rather than limiting access, talk with your employees about the best ways to use those channels without spending 8 hours a day looking at other people’s stuff.

Next, encourage your employees to put their own work out there. This invites critiques of their work by others and also feeds the same motivation they had before they came to work for you. The trick here is to do this without compromising your company’s work or your reputation. Talk with your employees about the limits on publishing proprietary information, and maybe try to keep your company’s name off of their personal work, but do not try to stop them from publishing. Along those lines, some companies include a clause in the employment contract that says any creative work produced by an employee belongs to the company; this includes stuff done away from work as well as work-related material. That’s a bad idea, as it stifles creative impulses away from work, which affects their creativity and innovation on the job.

Encourage them to network, whether online or in person. Like self-publishing, this invites critiques and encourages learning. Make sure people know it is OK to be using LinkedIn at work, and make some time for them to attend industry events, relevant talks at a Chamber of Commerce, or MeetUp groups that could be useful. Being around like-minded people is also a great motivator, reminding people why the work they do is so exciting. You might also encourage your employees to use these networks for recruiting for your firm, but of course, you want to avoid having other people poach your team at the same time.

One way to keep your employees on board, and encourage other talented people to come work for you, is to provide recognition of what they do. While there is certainly a bare minimum salary that people want/need, truly talented people have other motivations that are not really satisfied through money. Helping people get recognition for their work can encourage them to do even more, and shows both them and potential employees that you really value the talents your team brings. This doesn’t just mean allowing them to publish their work, it also means making sure the clients know who’s behind the creative work they just paid for. Depending on your social culture, you should be careful how you do that; in some places, like Thailand, people may get embarrassed by being singled out in a crowd for recognition, so you might want to be a little more subtle about it.

The last thing you want to do is hire an enthusiastic person and then kill that enthusiasm. In fact, it is not enough to simply avoid taking the fun and passion out of their work…if you can, you want to encourage that passion. People who have spent years creating and distributing their own work are not going to be happy if they are suddenly forced to stop and only do things your way. Think about why you hired creative, innovative employees, and make sure you make the most of what they offer you.