Building Award-Winning Remote Culture at Guidant Financial with Cory Sanford

Andy Storch recently welcomed Cory Sanford, VP of Culture and Talent at Guidant Financial, to the Talent Development Hot Seat podcast for an in-depth conversation on what it takes to create an award-winning remote culture. Drawing from two decades in HR, his current leadership at Guidant, and the practical wisdom in his book HR. Are You Kidding Me? Surprisingly Simple Steps to Unlock the Power of People, Cory shared actionable strategies for fostering connection, growth, and engagement, no matter where your employees sit.

Here’s how you can build a high-performing, human-centered remote culture in your organization.

Lead with Principles, Not Policies

Cory stressed the importance of leading with guiding principles rather than rigid policies, especially when navigating new work models. By focusing on the “why” and trusting employees to make good decisions, Guidant was able to transition smoothly to a fully remote environment in 2020 and never looked back. Evaluate your current processes: Are they designed for trust and flexibility? If not, start reimagining your systems around clearly communicated principles to empower distributed teams.

Solve for Connection and Collaboration with Intention

One of Cory’s mantras is “Culture is connection”; to purpose, to leaders, and to each other. To solve for the common remote work challenges of diminished connection and collaboration, design deliberate experiences that foster all three. At Guidant, this means a blend of required and optional opportunities: full-day virtual development events, regular manager check-ins, “break room” channels for informal interactions, and peer recognition spaces. Give people real choice and options for engagement, letting them own their work experience.

Leverage Technology But Make It Human

Remote collaboration isn’t just about adopting the latest tools; it’s about creating an environment where technology amplifies human connection. Guidant Financial relies on Microsoft Teams as its digital HQ, with custom channels for everything from professional recognition (“Cheers”) to watercooler chat (“Break Room”). Augment these tools with clear norms around how and when to use them and assign facilitators or “partners in crime” to help new hires connect and feel supported from day one.

Make Career Advancement Visible, Ambitious, and Attainable

Guidant sets a bold goal: at least 25% of employees should advance into a new role each year (and in recent years, they’ve hit 30%+). Don’t just champion promotions up the managerial ladder. Establish step promotions for subject matter experts and lateral mobility across functions. Provide clear paths but also create space for organic, even unexpected, roles and opportunities as your organization grows. Track and transparently share these metrics to inspire ambition.

Empower Managers to Develop and Release Talent

Cory notes that the best leaders are those who develop talent even if it means losing top performers to other teams. Celebrate managers for advancing people’s careers, whether internally or into completely new roles. Ensure all managers hold regular, effective one-on-ones that foster open feedback, support personal goals, and discuss future possibilities. Equip them with frameworks to self-assess and continuously improve their coaching skills.

Transform Onboarding and Offboarding Into Signature Experiences

Recognize that onboarding is your best “recruitment insurance.” Create emotional, meaningful first days for new hires by orienting them in cohorts, pairing them with cross-functional “partners in crime,” and ensuring their equipment and connections are ready from the start. Offboarding matters just as much. Celebrate every departure, communicate openly, and remain connected with alumni; many may return, become ambassadors, or refer top talent in the future.

Support Every Employee’s Full Self and Ambitions, Even When They Leave

Cory highlighted how Guidant openly supports employees’ dreams, including their side hustles, entrepreneurial goals, or family needs. Celebrate significant life milestones and when someone leaves to chase a dream, cheer them on wholeheartedly. By treating people as whole humans, you’re more likely to instill loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and a vibrant alumni network that continues to add value long after they’ve moved on.

Design Transformative Learning and Development Experiences

Once a year, Guidant hosts a global, all-day virtual development event where employees move from inspiration (via keynote speakers) to vision-setting (crafting vision boards), to leveraging AI tools to break big goals into action steps, and finally, to taking immediate action on a goal, whether it’s making an overdue phone call or booking an appointment. Integrate emerging tech like AI in a hands-on, safe way to build confidence. Cap the experience with community support, such as encouraging team members to support small businesses, reinforcing both learning and organizational purpose.

Measure What Matters and Share Successes

Don’t just focus on engagement or retention rates. Track unique metrics like first-year retention and the percentage of internal advancements, including those to newly created roles. Use these insights to refine your programs and celebrate your progress, both internally and externally.

Building a truly human-centered remote culture isn’t about unlimited budget or buying every trending app. It is about intentional systems, courageous leadership, radical transparency, and relentless prioritization of employee connection and growth. Take cues from Cory Sanford and the Guidant Financial team: invest in people, celebrate every milestone, and keep your workplace a launch pad, not a cage for talent and dreams.

Be sure to listen to the full episode on the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast!

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