Deloitte has released a new report revealing that human capabilities remain at the core of high‑performing teams, even as organizations increasingly adopt artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The “Human capabilities are at the heart of high‑performing teams” study based on a survey of nearly 1,400 professionals across industries underscores that enduring human skills such as emotional intelligence, curiosity, resilience and connected teaming are critical predictors of team success in the modern workplace.
While high‑performing teams are more likely to use AI in their work (78% versus 54% among other teams), the report’s findings clearly show that technology alone is not enough — it’s how people interact, learn and support each other that ultimately drives performance over time.
Key Findings: What Sets High‑Performing Teams Apart
In the Deloitte report, there are several points that illustrate the traits that successful teams possess:
Trusting Environments: Team players belonging to successful teams are 2.3 times as likely as others to feel trusted by their leaders, respected, and appreciated by others, and close to 1.5 times as likely to feel included in the team.
Emotional and Social Intelligence stood out as the greatest contributor to successful team performance.
Informed Agility & Autonomy: These teams are more adaptable by a factor of 2.5 when it comes to pivoting and playing a collaborative role during change. They also claim autonomy by a factor of three. This improves their purpose/vision affinity.
Culture of Growth: High achievers are almost three times more likely than lower ones to generate, or build, a culture of growth in which all members can develop together.
Gaps in Training: Despite 67% of respondents anticipating the relative value of human skills to increase over the coming two years, fewer than 50% of them feel that their companies are paying equivalent attention to developing both human and technical competencies.
Innovation Potential: Of all top-performing teams, a mere 37% of them demonstrate innovation behaviors on a regular basis. There seems to
Impact on the HR Industry
For human resources leaders, these findings carry important strategic implications. HR functions that traditionally focus on recruiting and compliance must increasingly prioritize the development of human skills alongside technological adoption:
Training Strategies Must Evolve: With the study highlighting a training gap, HR teams should implement learning programs that nurture emotional intelligence, curiosity and collaboration as core competencies — not just technical or AI skills.
Culture and Leadership Development: High trust, autonomy and connected teaming consistently appear as drivers of performance. HR needs to assist in creating organizational cultures where psychological safety, leadership inclusivity, and empowerment are embedded.
Integration of AI with People Insights: Despite the benefits offered by the use of AI, a major task for the HR department would be to ensure that technology supports enhancing human capabilities instead of a replacement role. Training individuals to use the capabilities provided by integrating People Insights with AI would be essential.
According to Deloitte’s human capital practice leader, Simona Spelman, the most durable competitive advantage in a world of constant disruption is a workforce that combines continuous learning with human‑centric skills — an insight that reinforces the centrality of HR in shaping future organizational performance.
Effects on Businesses and Organizational Performance
The wider business implications of Deloitte’s findings extend well beyond HR:
Strategic Workforce Planning: Organizations that value and measure human skills as much as technical capabilities will be better positioned to manage change and drive innovation. Investments in training and team development translate into stronger operational agility and resilience.
Improved Collaboration and Productivity: High-trust, supportive team environments improve not only individual performance but also collaboration-a key competitive advantage in many markets where cross-functional work is crucial.
Improved AI ROI: Teams that know how to integrate the use of AI tools-effectively by combining them with strong human capabilities-report better quality experiences with technology and, as a result, are more efficient, better problem solvers, and agile.
Innovation Acceleration: Although the study notes innovation gaps even among high performers, organizations that actively encourage exploratory behaviors and learning from failure are more likely to sustain long‑term growth and market differentiation.
In all, Deloitte‘s research indicates that human capabilities-not just technology adoption-will define the future of high-performing teams. For HR leaders and business executives alike, this means creating environments where human potential is amplified by AI, and continuous learning, trust, and collaboration are core to strategy and culture.
