Enter the time capsule: How companies can capture legacy for future employees

At Isuzu East Africa, Dr Fred Wasike, the Director for Human Resources and Corporate Sustainability explains their corporate time capsule is as much about retention and engagement as it is about history.

"Our youngest employee at this time, Kiiza Isma, is the custodian of the key to our time capsule," he says. HR though has the spare keys in case of any eventualities.

So, what is inside Isuzu's time capsule?

According to Dr Wasike, the time capsule has the employee staff list as at September 3, 2025, the current strategic plan for 2021 to 2025, and miniature cars, both models and photographs, with brochures and specifications of all vehicles.

"We also put in our leadership team, we had visitors around from Isuzu regions in Dubai, South Africa, Japan who put their business cards inside the box, our employee engagement scores, our happiness index so that team members will know that those who were here were a happy team, and pictorials of our awards," he adds.

"The capsule also contains the structure of the Women's Council and a link to the celebratory song, Iyon ng'otumi which we sing here whenever we have great events."

While no further items can be added now, Dr Wasike says the suggestions for what to be included in the time capsule came from the planning team for the 50th anniversary celebrations, but during the ceremony, they opened up to employees to add personal items they would want.

"For example, my PhD thesis and book which is co-authored by me and our Managing Director Rita Kavashe, Kenya's currency notes, a random employee's pay slip, business cards, that day's newspapers among others," he says.

To protect the contents, documents were laminated and the box was engineered to manage internal moisture, hence it cannot be opened again.

However, there are multimedia formats of the annual report, strategy plan, Dr Wasike's thesis and book in soft copy.
"We also have the list of what went in the box in digital format."

When will Isuzu open their time capsule?

"On the 3rd of September this year, we turned 50 and we shall open the box after 25 years during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. This will be on 3rd September 2050," he shares.

The team settled on a 25-year interval so that many current staff members, by then in their 50s, can witness the moment. If 3 September 2050 falls on a weekend or public holiday, the ceremony will move to the next working day.

The most challenging part when creating the time capsule, Dr Wasike says, was deciding what to include and what to leave out.
"We have so much to celebrate so our challenge was even more on shortlisting. We picked on best-in-class items; so, our behaviour, ethical, brand, stakeholder, and community issues and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes that showed we are a great company."

His advice to other organisations is that time capsules help celebrate milestones, tell a company's story and formally record its journey.

He adds, "Companies should not shy away from time capsules because they are not doing well because you can get better."

Time capsules show what it felt like

Jane Mutisya, an HR professional, says time capsules act as a corporate memory bank, preserving milestones, employee experiences, and the company's evolution. They provide future employees with insight into "what it felt like" to work in the company at a certain point.

She says the items chosen for the capsule reveal what matters most to the organisation. "For example, a sustainability-focused company might include its first carbon-neutral certification, recycled product packaging, or employee stories about eco-initiatives. A company that prides itself on innovation might include prototypes, hackathon winners, or future predictions written by employees."

Involving employees, Ms Mutisya shares, makes them feel connected and take ownership of the company's story. However, for the new employees years later, she says it will help them understand heritage, culture and identity beyond what HR manuals show.

The value of it shows employees feel they are part of something lasting, while externally, the capsule becomes a branding tool.
"Challenges HR might face when introducing a time capsule project is getting the buy-ins, ensuring diverse representations, managing logistics of storage and aligning it with business goals," she says.

What if a time capsule contains employees complaints?

To address concerns on confidentiality or sensitive information in the time capsule, Ms Mutisya says companies can create clear guidelines on what is acceptable excluding sensitive business data.

"Employee stories, photos and cultural artifacts can be included," she adds.

If a time capsule contains employee frustrations or warnings, Ms Mutisya says HR should still include them, though they should not dominate.

"Capturing honest feedback can show authenticity and growth if framed carefully. HR could include anonymised insights that highlight challenges the company overcame."

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