As an HR professional, you’re undoubtedly aware that your ability to consistently hit your target performance goals and be successful is tied to a number of key variables—and chief among them is your ability to stay on top of the latest and greatest trends in the job market.

Sure, not every new trend is going to have a lasting and far-reaching impact across all industries, but there are many good reasons to stay aware of the major trends hitting the HR sector. Sometimes these new trends comprise market-shifting innovations that completely upend how the profession operates—and create a noticeable gap between those who choose to lead the industry and remain current and those who let themselves grow apathetic and fall behind.

Don’t forget, in most instances a candidate’s first impression of a company is forged through their initial interactions with its HR team and hiring process. And we all know how powerful and pervasive first impressions are. So, are you giving candidates the impression that you’re part of a progressive, industry-leading company or just the opposite? In today’s ultra-competitive job market, in which sourcing and retaining the best available talent can mean the difference between breaking through the crowd and being at the back of the pack, can you afford to get left behind?

Hopefully, by now, we’ve convinced you why it’s important to stay aware of new HR trends. Human Resource Executive recently published an article on trends on the horizon that may transform the field. Let’s take a closer look at some of these, which may lead to major shifts in how HR professionals across industries operate.

Digitization

As the world grows increasingly digital, so too does every aspect of how today’s industry-leading companies operate, both in terms of front-facing customer interactions and more behind-the-scenes operational practices—the HR field is no exception. According to Human Resource Executive, “Digital technology provides managers and employees direct access to increasing amounts of information, insights, tools, and expertise. To fully leverage digital technology’s potential, HR must rethink its organization structure, processes and roles, and shift its primary focus away from administration and transaction processing to delivering people-management capabilities that drive superior performance.” As an HR professional, you’ve either already felt the effects of digitization in your daily work life or they’re coming soon, so it’s in your best interest to get ready for these changes.

Self-service

Until recently, most of us who have been through a job hunt have dealt with at least one and sometimes several HR professionals who helped facilitate our movement through a company’s HR pipeline. Thanks to new advances in AI and digital automation, this is poised to change as a new, self-service HR model gains traction and takes hold.

The brave new HR model of the not-so-distant future will be supported by a host of automated services and tools designed to support candidates as they move through the hiring process and guide employees through their career development. Everything from performance coaching, training resources, and career guidance tools to virtual assistants that can help address any issues that arise along the way will soon be available at their fingertips. This new self-service model also features time-saving resources and analytics designed to help HR professionals maximize departmental efficiency and capture key performance data, all designed to benefit the companies they work for.

Personalization

Say goodbye to the old “one size fits all” approach to dealing with employees and HR issues. The latest trend emerging in HR is personalization, allowing candidates and employees alike to have a truly customized HR experience—from initial engagement through the length of their tenure. New technology is allowing HR departments to track and support individuals in deeper and more individual ways—based on a host of available metrics that can be engineered to fit a company’s needs—that before were simply cost- and labor-prohibitive. Everything from individual guidance to available resources and levels of interaction and follow-up can be tailored, providing clear advantages to older and less responsive HR approaches.

Here’s the bottom line: New rules and tools—led by a digital revolution in HR—are set to upend the old industry model and transform the field in bold new ways. It’s in your benefit to stay on top of incoming trends to avoid getting left behind.