Changing the employee consumer Mindset!

 

Changing the Employee consumer mindset

In 2026, the Year of the African Employee, I plan to share some thoughts to re-direct the destiny of the African employee, making him, and her, understand the transformative power they have to change their own circumstances and uplift the wellbeing of society. In this article we discuss “Changing the employee mindset”

What mindset?

Most employees look for jobs to earn an income. At the core of that search is a conscious or subconscious wish list of delightful wants. Wants like a comfortable house, a top of the range car, the latest phone technology and other the trappings of the benefits attached to high value positions in corporations that project a successful career. These are not bad things. However, notice the emphasis on the adjectives attached to each item on the dream list. Words like comfortable, new, latest and benefits… are words that drive the core of consumption. Consumers look for the best deal and do not mind paying a premium price to stand out on the top end of society. The driving force of the employee for employment is therefore not personal development, advancement or wealth creation. Rather, it is luxury, privilege and imagery. These are consumer forces that prey on employee income.

Why the mindset need to change

The net effect of this mindset is that employee work to seek acquire and enjoy these privileges that they have access to in employment. However, the employee is not spared of basic expectations of social responsibility that also command attention. Which means that the average employee must fulfil basic family, and in Africa, extended family obligations alongside seeking to enjoy the comforts he is able to afford because of enjoying the privilege of employment. In other words, the while the employee meets the basic needs of family, all additional (disposable) income goes to fund comfort and luxury. Unfortunately, this balance is sometimes revered where incomes first fund the dream list before creating family wealth foundations. This means that the employee loses out on opportunities to save money, accumulate personal capital and create wealth with part of his available income. If the employee mindset changed, he would be able to Save and invest more of his monthly income to create personal assets and wealth creating enterprises with his income.   

The transformative impact of a new mindset

It is arguable that one should be allowed to enjoy the benefits of employment the way they wish. But by that same argument, there should be no regret or recrimination when leaving employment with nothing to show for all the capital (income) that has passed through an employee’s hands. It is also true that employment in Africa has long been sold as the epitome of social relevance and success. This too is not a bad thing because it motivates people to seek jobs. But going by the number of unemployed persons, employment is in itself a massive privilege that should have a transformative impact on the employee and wider society. Seeking employment as a career end game is insufficient fuel for personal development, wealth creation and social transformation. The employee has the opportunity and power to return wealth to society and shift Africa’s economic dynamics from a poor to wealthy society. This however, requires an employee mind shift to think like an entrepreneur – I think this the next topic I shall discuss on this forum.

 

Allan Bukusi is the author of the book; How to Prosper in Employment and creator of the Employee Empowerment Seminar, a ninety-minute motivational presentation challenging employees to prioritize creating personal wealth early in their careers.