In my most recent job change, I was astonished at how helpful HR is. This was punctuated by a call from a HR manager to me about a month or so after I started asking if there were any problems they could help me with. The HR department has been helpful, doing their best to take work off me and help me get to my primary job duties.
Yes, some HR departments are at best unpleasant to work with and should be treated as a hostile entity. Some IT departments earn their nickname of "Preventer of Information Services". Some computer security departments earn less polite nicknames and make HR look like amateurs. Some senior managers make you scramble to memorize everything you can so you can document it as soon as you get home and call (because you wouldn't dare call from your personal phone or worse, use a work phone to call) a lawyer, or district attorney.
Hating HR may be popular here, but two of my jobs over the past many years have actually had very positive experiences with HR, right down to the last day and beyond.