Today on the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast, host Andy Storch welcomes Cory Sanford, VP of Culture and Talent at Guidant Financial, HR consultant, speaker, and author of “hr. Are you kidding me? Surprisingly Simple Steps to Unlock the Power of People.” In this energizing conversation, Cory shares his unique philosophy on creating an award-winning remote culture and how intentional talent development practices can transform the employee experience.

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Connect with Cory Sanford here: LinkedIn

Key highlights from this episode include:

• Cory recounts his journey into HR and talent development, plus the personal mantra that guides his work: the workplace should empower people to be, do, and feel their best.
• Discover how Guidant Financial has thrived as a fully remote organization—winning “Best Place to Work” awards and attracting top talent by leaning into flexibility and connection.
• Cory explains the secret to overcoming hybrid and remote work challenges, focusing on building deliberate connections—to purpose, leaders, and each other through required and optional cultural activities.
• Take a behind-the-scenes look at Guidant’s innovative use of Microsoft Teams, including fun “Break Room” and “Cheers” channels to promote organic interaction and real-time peer recognition.
• Learn about Guidant’s bold goal to promote or advance 25% of its team annually, and how Cory’s approach to career development includes step promotions, subject matter expert tracks, and creating new roles where talent and organizational needs align.
• Hear practical strategies for supporting managers to develop, not hoard, talentincluding regular, effective one-on-ones and celebrating leaders who help their people move up or across the organization.
• Cory shares his philosophy for meaningful onboarding (cohort hiring, “partners in crime” buddies, and personal welcome messages) and offboarding (company-wide celebration of departures and active alumni engagement).
• Dive into the design and impact of Guidant’s all-virtual Development Day, featuring Andy as keynote, personal vision boarding, actionable next steps, and hands-on AI training to foster an ownership mindset.
• Insights on building a culture that encourages side hustles and celebrates employees who pursue their dreams; whether inside or outside the company.
• Cory’s take on why he wrote “hr. Are you kidding me?”: to offer simple, story-driven frameworks anyone can use to unlock the power of culture and people.

Tune in for actionable inspiration and ideas to create, sustain, and measure a standout culture. Whether you are in the office or distributed across the globe. Connect with Cory Sanford on LinkedIn and check out his book for more practical HR insights.

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