How Extra Space Storage's People Team is Using AI

Extra Space Storage's people team has begun exploring how AI can improve hiring practices, streamline processes, and enable employees to focus on work that requires their judgment, creativity, and experience. For Whitney Harper, Senior Vice President of People at Extra Space Storage, AI isn't a threat to human resources—it's the next layer on top of the data foundation the organization has already built. Here's how she and her team are approaching AI as part of the HR strategy for a company with more than 4,300 locations nationwide.

Building a Data Literacy Foundation

Any meaningful AI strategy in HR starts with data literacy. When Harper joined Extra Space, one of her first moves was hiring a dedicated people analyst to turn workforce data into actionable insights and build a data-driven people team. From there, the team invested in helping leaders across the organization get comfortable using data to spot trends, identify challenges, and better support employees.

As Harper puts it,

"Data is our love language. We love data. And AI is the next layer on top of that—first we had to build the data literacy and the skill sets, and now we're asking how do we go further."

That data foundation helps the people team turn information into clearer insights and more informed decisions. It also gives AI tools the context they need to support meaningful work. For HR leaders exploring people analytics and AI, building data fluency across the team is an important first step.

Empowering Internal AI Champions

Rather than driving AI adoption through top-down mandates, Extra Space's people team looked inward, identifying employees who were already curious about AI and giving them room to explore. The idea was to let enthusiasm lead, then build from what those employees discovered.

Harper recalls,

"I recently got off a call where my team was proposing an idea for AI super fans—specifically looking at how we can be utilizing AI on the people team to optimize processes we currently have using agents."

That approach reflects how the broader people team operates. Dedicated task forces within each division work to understand staffing needs, labor market conditions, and turnover trends, proactively bringing forward solutions rather than waiting to be asked. The same principle applies to AI. The teams closest to the work are often best positioned to identify where automation can create meaningful value.

Using AI Agents to Streamline Hiring

For Harper, AI agents are one of the most promising uses of the technology. These software programs automate specific tasks and workflows, helping teams move faster and reduce administrative roadblocks. Extra Space Storage is currently testing AI agents in its hiring process, with promising initial results.

Harper shares,

"I think we're more on the leading side of things, where we're using AI to conduct interviews and to have quick response times. [Historically,] that process has dragged on based on the availability of the hiring manager."

AI-assisted screening and interviewing can help candidates move through the hiring process faster while giving recruiters and hiring managers more meaningful opportunities to engage with candidates and make thoughtful hiring decisions. This can lead to faster responses for applicants, greater capacity for hiring teams, and improved time-to-fill metrics.

Adopting AI with Intention & Oversight

The potential for AI to support HR teams is real, but it's important not to move faster than an organization is prepared to support. Harper and her team are taking a thoughtful and intentional approach to AI integration.

As Harper notes,

"We want to make sure data-driven decisions help us and don't have unintended consequences. That same caution applies to AI."

In practice, that means defining the problem before reaching for a tool. Rather than adopting AI because it's available, Extra Space's people team focuses on identifying specific challenges, setting measurable goals, and maintaining human oversight throughout. The objective isn't to use AI everywhere, but rather to use it where it creates meaningful, defensible value.

Expanding Employee Capacity with AI Tools

Extra Space's people team has a consistent philosophy when it comes to integrating AI. The focus is on expanding employee capacity, not replacing people. The goal is to help teammates spend more time on work that requires their judgment, creativity, and experience.

Harper explains,

"We're seeing this dawn of the super worker. Individuals who were limited in their capacity of what they could get done in a day by the tools that they have now with AI have 10x performance. Now they can get a lot more done in one day and delegate some of the more mundane or small-brain tasks. That frees them up to be doing their highest, most valuable work."

For HR leaders, that shift has real implications. Helping employees build AI fluency and understand how these tools can support their roles is becoming a strategic priority. Organizations that approach AI thoughtfully can improve efficiency while creating a more engaging employee experience.

To learn more about technology innovation at Extra Space Storage, check out more episodes of the Inside Extra Space podcast! And if you're interested in a career on our people team, explore open roles today!