Building high-impact teams for profitability analysis in 2026

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Economic uncertainty, margin pressure and rising operational complexity are pushing finance leaders to take a harder look at what's actually making money. Profitability analysis—examining financial data to understand not just how a business is performing but why—has become essential.

Indeed, driving profitability and cost optimization now ranks among the top strategic priorities for finance and accounting leaders in 2026, according to Robert Half's latest Demand for Skilled Talent report.

Building teams with business profitability analysis skills has never been easy, however, and it may be getting harder. The same research shows that 61% of finance and accounting leaders say finding skilled professionals is more challenging than it was a year ago. Only 6% report having both the headcount and skills needed to accomplish their priority projects, leaving nearly all organizations with gaps to fill.

Business Profitability Analysis: Building High-Impact Teams

How to build high-impact profitability analysis teams
Essential capabilities: Skills that drive profitability analysis
Building and sustaining your team: practical approaches
Moving forward: Next steps for finance and accounting leaders

How to build high-impact profitability analysis teams

Having the right mix of profitability analysis talent matters. Financial analysts, currently among the most in-demand professionals, form the backbone of these teams. They work alongside cost accountants and business intelligence specialists to create a comprehensive picture of the company's performance.

Each role brings distinct value to business profitability analysis:

Financial analysts excel at modeling scenarios and identifying trends that affect profitability, with expertise in forecasting and variance analysis.

Cost accountants provide critical insights into expense structures and pricing strategies.

Business intelligence (BI) specialists transform complex data sets into clear visualizations that support quick decision-making.

To understand how these roles work together in practice, take a company that wants to understand which service lines make the most money:

Financial analysts project revenue scenarios across different market segments.

Cost accountants detail service delivery expenses and overhead allocation.

BI specialists create interactive dashboards showing profit margins by service category.

This collaborative approach helps leadership make informed decisions about resource allocation and pricing. The same methods apply to customer profitability analysis, where teams examine which client segments contribute most to the bottom line.

Essential capabilities: Skills that drive profitability analysis

What skills enable these teams to deliver such comprehensive insights? Successful profitability analysis requires both technical expertise and interpersonal abilities.

High-value technical skills include:

Advanced financial modeling: Financial professionals need strong command of core modeling techniques—such as three-statement modeling, discounted cash flow analysis and sensitivity testing— and the ability to extend them into more complex scenarios. The best analysts build models that flex and adjust as business conditions shift.

Data analysis expertise: Strong teams know how to dig deep into the numbers using regression analysis, statistical testing and predictive modeling. They spot the patterns in complex data that others miss.

ERP systems proficiency: Modern financial work runs on platforms like Oracle NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Knowing these systems inside and out helps professionals extract and manage financial data quickly.

Data visualization mastery: Tools like Tableau, Power BI and Qlik Sense turn complex financial insights into clear visuals that tell a story. This skill helps everyone—from executives to operations teams—understand what the numbers mean for their work.

Beyond technical prowess, profitability analysis depends on soft skills, including:

Communication: The best financial professionals can explain what the numbers mean in ways that make sense to colleagues across the business, from marketing to operations.

Strategic thinking: Strong team members see beyond the spreadsheets. They understand how financial decisions affect every part of the business. They offer practical solutions that align with company goals.

Problem-solving: When profitability dips, problem-solvers find the real causes and develop practical fixes.

Business partnership: Top performers build strong relationships across departments, gathering insights and getting buy-in for new initiatives.

Project management: Leading a financial project requires coordinating across teams and delivering results on time.

The rise of AI technology marks a significant shift in profitability analysis. Mass-market models like Gemini’s Deep Research can now compile and analyze reports from multiple data sources in minutes rather than days, identify patterns in spending that human analysts might miss, and generate initial insights about cost drivers and revenue opportunities.

Making the most of this technology requires what might be called "AI fluency"—the ability to both direct AI tools effectively and apply human judgment to their output. AI literacy is now one of the most evident skills gaps in finance and accounting teams, with 27% of leaders citing it as a weakness.

When analyzing product line profitability, for example, an AI system might flag unexpected variations in margin across different regions. A skilled analyst would then investigate these variations, collaborate with regional sales teams to understand local market conditions and develop targeted recommendations. Customer profitability analysis benefits similarly: AI can quickly segment customers by revenue contribution while analysts interpret the findings and recommend action.

The analysts who combine AI tools with financial judgment will deliver faster, more accurate insights than those who rely on either alone.

Building a high-impact team goes beyond technical expertise—learn how to assess the soft skills that drive success in the AI era.

Building and sustaining your team: practical approaches

Empty seats create ripple effects across organizations. To build and keep strong business profitability analysis teams, focus on these areas:

Smart skills development

Make training count with measurable goals and clear outcomes. With 57% of finance and accounting leaders saying they need to upskill current team members, regular skills assessments are essential to spot gaps and create learning plans.

Career progression that matters

Top professionals stay put when they see a future for themselves. Map out clear growth paths and give your best people chances to lead projects that catch leadership's eye.

Breaking down silos

Teams get stronger through collaboration. When profitability analysts work side by side with sales, operations and other groups, they gain richer insights into what drives business success.

Technology that powers productivity

Smart tech investments boost what your team can do without growing headcount. The right mix of AI and automation tools lets teams handle more data and spot insights faster—particularly valuable when only 6% of organizations have both the headcount and skills they need.

Moving forward: Next steps for finance and accounting leaders

High-quality profitability analysis makes a real difference to business success, but building a capable team takes careful planning. As financial data grows more complex, gaps in your analysis capabilities carry real costs.

A flexible staffing model works best, combining skilled permanent staff with contract talent. This approach gives you reliable expertise while keeping your business nimble enough to adapt when needs or technology change.

With 54% of finance and accounting leaders planning to increase contract or temporary hiring in H1 2026, flexible staffing has become a standard practice. Working with a talent solutions firm like Robert Half connects you with vetted professionals ready to contribute from day one. This takes the pressure off your permanent team while giving you access to the expertise you need.

How AI-Enabled Finance Functions Can Help Companies Navigate Macroeconomic Challenges More Effectively

How to Assess Soft Skills: Finding Top Talent in the AI Era

Why a Flexible Staffing Model is Essential for Businesses Today