Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager
Carol T. Kulik & Elissa L. Perry
Articles & Blogs
October, 2025
How to uncover a workplace's culture before you take the job
Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager’s Chapters 2 (Recruiting Employees) and 4 (Interviewing Job Applicants) highlight the value of hiring employees who “fit” the company culture. In this ABC News article, Carol explains how applicants can learn the company culture before they join.
October, 2025
Do you need a better job? Answer these five questions to find out.
A “quality job” has several dimensions – and it’s hard to maximize them all at the same time. Carol talked with the Washington Post about the value of employee autonomy and the risks of making employees responsible for their own development.
October, 2024
Your one-size-fits-all L&D program isn’t working. Consider these approaches instead.
This HR Brew article includes Carol’s recommendations on getting more value from organizational training efforts. You’ll find lots of other relevant content in Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager’s Chapter 6 (Training and Developing Employees).
August, 2024
Two things are better than one: Improving employee wellbeing and organizational performance.
As we emerge from a global pandemic into the "next normal", employers are increasingly interested in employee wellbeing. In this HR Today article, Elissa shares how organizations can help managers engage in behaviors and practices that contribute to a positive, health supportive work climate.
April, 2024
Why don’t Australians talk about their salaries? Pay transparency and fairness go hand-in-hand.
Employers are facing regulatory pressure to be more transparent about their pay practices, but it can be tricky to get pay transparency right. Carol summarized the benefits and risks in this article she wrote for The Conversation.
January, 2024
What 5 weeks of annual leave could mean for employee wellbeing
This HRD article describes a call for Australian employers to increase annual leave, and Carol comments on the implications for employee well-being. More annual leave gives employees more autonomy to balance their work and non-work lives, and might be a great retention tool!
October, 2023
Gen X workers want different benefits. Companies are answering the call.
This BBC Worklife article includes Carol’s comments on the symbolic and signaling effects of employee benefits. You’ll find lots of great content about benefits in Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager's Chapter 2 (Recruiting Employees) and Chapter 8 (Rewarding Employees).
October, 2023
Downsizing by stealth: How not to lay off staff
Downsizing is never going to be easy, but there are ways to reduce the pain. Carol talked with the Australian Financial Review about compassionate downsizing, a topic that readers will recognize from Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager’s Chapter 9!
October, 2023
The best less businessy, business books that can help managers
Elissa is on a mission to get research-based evidence into the hands of people who can put it to good use. Here’s her take on “less businessy” business books from authors who translate research into language that people can understand.
July, 2023
The best books for making work a better place to be (when you aren't the big boss)
Carol likes to imagine Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager in good company on a manager’s bookshelf. In this blog, she recommends some of her favorite books about making work a better place to be (when you aren’t the big boss).
July, 2023
The how and why of building a diverse workforce
Carol wrote this article for Financy, a fintech startup that helps organizations move the dial on diversity, equity and inclusion. She presents a handful of “hot tips” for line managers, explaining how they can support inclusion without a heap of extra stress or fuss.
Videos & Podcasts
October, 2025
Exploring Recent Efforts Aimed at Assisting Academic Leaders with Responding, Addressing and Preventing Sexual Harassment
Elissa spoke (video time stamp 04:10) at the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s 2025 Public Summit about the important role that leaders and inclusion climates play in addressing and preventing sexual harassment in higher education. Of course she highlighted material from Chapter 11 (Creating an Inclusive Workplace)!
September, 2025
From Little Gender Pay Gaps, Big Gaps Grow (a 5-minute explainer!)
“Equal Pay Day is consistently the most disappointing, frustrating day on my professional calendar!” Carol channels all that negative energy into a 5-minute explainer. Gender pay gaps unfold over a lifetime, so it’s important to recognise the risks at every stage of career. If you’d like to take a deep dive into the research behind the video, click the Read More button.
August, 2025
Work Reimagined: Anchoring People and Purpose in Times of Change
Across sectors, work is undergoing transformational change. Digitalisation, hybrid work models, shifting career paths, and evolving employee expectations are forcing leaders to rethink how their organisations can support employee growth, connection and wellbeing. In this presentation, Carol unpacks what these changes mean for the future of leadership.
May, 2025
How AI is rewiring your workplace without you knowing!
In this rollicking podcast, Carol and Anwar Khalil (CEO & Founder, Martian Logic) discuss major trends disrupting people management, including the pressures on line managers, shock-initiated turnover, and artificial intelligence.
February, 2025
Communication bias
Chapter 6 (Managing Employee Performance) emphasizes feedback, feedback, and more feedback! In this Humans Not Resources webinar, Carol explains how to keep communication bias from derailing the feedback you deliver.
February, 2025
The unsung heroes of your organisation
Wondering how much line managers matter to digital transformation? Carol’s answer is “a lot!” and she explains why in this UNSW Business School webinar.
October, 2024
Employee training and development to foster workforce productivity
In this Academy of Management webinar, Carol joins a panel to discuss employee training and development. The webinar highlights ways that organizations can get more value from their training, and of course Carol emphasizes the key role of line managers!
March, 2024
Line managers as accidental people managers
Carol, together with Sylvia Powell and Shane Farley, presents “Line Managers as Accidental People Managers” in the University of South Australia Centre for Workplace Excellence four-part webinar series entitled Achieving Workplace Excellence: The Critical Role of Line Managers.
December, 2023
Line managers: The unsung heroes in every organisation
Carol presents “Line Managers: The Unsung Heroes in Every Organisation” to a gathering of the exploration and mining industries in South Australia.
September, 2023
Carol Kulik on HR for the Non-HR Manager
Dr Ben Butina’s Department 12 podcast covers “Everything IO Psych.” Carol talked with Department 12 about a few favorite topics: how line managers make work a better place, how people management differs across international contexts, and how we can make progress on grand challenges one small step at a time.
August, 2023
Teaching management best practices
The Academy of Management hosts panels of management scholars to discuss trending management topics. In this webinar, Carol highlights educators’ responsibility to help practicing managers develop the skills they need. And she squeezes in a plug for L-E-S-S is more thinking!