What Extra Space Storage Leaders Look for in New Hires

When Extra Space Storage leaders describe their ideal candidate, they rarely lead with certifications or industry background. Beyond the resume, they're looking for our core values in action—the curiosity, integrity, and teamwork that turn a job into a career. We asked leaders across our organization what they actually look for when hiring. Here's what they had to say.

Noah Springer, President

Noah Springer leads the company as President and formerly led teams where a focus on growth and relationship-building was critical, which means hiring is as much about character as it is about skill.

"We can probably teach storage to just about anybody. What matters is how they're going to act as a team member. Do they have that thing in the culture? Do they have that fire and competitive spirit? And are they as kind as they are competitive? You want someone that's going to be here not just for a job, but for a career."

That balance—"as kind as they are competitive"—reflects our commitment to hiring people who push for results without losing sight of the people next to them. At Extra Space Storage's scale, that combination supports both team effectiveness and long-term business performance. More than filling roles, Noah and his team are building a culture designed to sustain results over time.

Gwyn McNeal, Chief Legal Officer

In most corporate legal departments, the primary focus is on identifying risk. Gwyn McNeal looks for people who can fix problems, not just flag them.

"I'm looking for problem solvers and not just problem spotters. A lot of attorneys in the corporate world can tell you all day long what the risks are, but they don't help you solve for them. By the time people are coming to legal, they're stressed—they're coming looking for answers, not to hear that they've screwed up."

This approach extends beyond the legal function. We operate across various acquisitions, complex third-party relationships, and decision-making spanning thousands of locations. In that environment, identifying problems without advancing solutions creates bottlenecks rather than value—which is why we look for people who can help close the loop.

Jeff Norman, Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Norman's standard for hiring goes beyond competence. It centers on the ability to assign someone a goal and confidently step back.

"For me it's trust. There's something different about someone you can really trust—where you can talk about the strategy or the goal and then turn them loose. That's tough to replace. I would rather have a position sit open longer and really like the people we hire than make a quick decision and regret it later."

This willingness to wait for the right candidate reflects a broader emphasis on quality over speed in our hiring process. For candidates comparing opportunities, it also signals how they are likely to be managed here. We pair responsibility with trust in everything that we do, and that expectation runs both ways.

Chandra Maddukuri, SVP of Data Science & Revenue Management

For data science teams, it's easy to optimize for technical ability. Chandra Maddukuri looks for something else first—a clear understanding of the business problem behind the data.

"To produce an insight, to produce a recommendation, the individual has to understand what is the business problem, what is the business opportunity. I ideally like candidates who ask a lot of questions, understand the business well, and can collaborate effectively."

There's a meaningful distinction here between output and insight. An analyst who can execute a query is not the same as one who can identify which query matters. Chandra looks for candidates who come in curious about the business, not just the data. For technically strong candidates, this is an opportunity to highlight the transferable skills that help them understand business challenges, collaborate effectively, and drive meaningful results.

Bill Mottram, VP of Operations Support

Bill Mottram has seen Extra Space Storage's culture operate at the ground level, from hiring store employees to managing operational transitions. From his perspective, cultural fit is easy to recognize and difficult to manufacture.

"I don't think I've ever worked in an environment where if you do not fit the culture, you stick out as much as you might here. The level of passion is what really comes through."

At the operational level, someone going through the motions can disrupt team cohesion. After joining Extra Space Storage, Bill quickly saw how our company culture drives engagement. That genuine enthusiasm is something he looks for in candidates today.

Zach Dickens, Chief Investment Officer

Zach Dickens' team evaluates, underwrites, and acquires properties across our portfolio. Technical skills and financial modeling are expected at this level—what differentiates top candidates is curiosity.

"Those that succeed and do very well are intellectually curious about it. Our storage product is pretty simple—it looks like it is just at face value. But the minute you look at it twice, suddenly it's much more complicated."

People in self storage careers who view the business at face value tend to plateau. Those who dig deeper—asking why markets perform differently, how demand changes over time, and what the data is really saying—are the ones who grow. Zach's own career reflects that mindset. He joined Extra Space with a degree in Russian literature and no experience in the storage industry, but what set him apart was curiosity and a willingness to learn—qualities that remain central to how we hire today.

Interested in a career with Extra Space Storage? Explore our open roles and apply today. And to hear more from the leaders shaping our culture, check out the Inside Extra Space podcast!