Write-ups, layoffs, scrutiny — human resources often have a certain reputation. Especially in popular culture, HR is presented as the department no one wants to hear from after getting hired.

In reality, many HR departments can and do play a large, mostly positive role in the everyday lives of company employees. The doom-and-gloom reputation from HR departments comes from many places, including popular culture and from large companies where few employees interact with the department on a personal level.

Even in large companies, and especially in small companies, HR professionals contribute a great deal to employee retention — and for a smart business owner, retention is worth a lot more time and investment than procedures for removing and replacing people.

Retention is usually better than replacement

One of the main reasons it’s important to try and break this stigma around HR is the positive effect that retaining employees can have on a company. An HR department that focuses on hiring good fits and creating a workplace that people respond well to adds considerable value to a company. Employees motivated by positive experiences stick around longer, and the work they do is often more valuable.

People are more than cost. When evaluating the costs of retraining versus replacing employees, consider that investing in retraining and uptraining is likely a time and cost saver in the long run. Teams that are experienced with your processes as well as your culture work well together, and more efficiently than newer employees. While it’s great to keep an organization’s vitality up with new blood, a high turn around can land you with an unfortunate reputation.

Setting up for success: retention starts at hiring

The role HR plays in retaining employees begins with the hiring process. Training recruiters to pick the best fit for the company, and insisting on high-quality candidates reduces the risk that new employees will leave. Being upfront and transparent throughout the hiring process allows potential employees to measure for themselves whether they’re a good fit for the company as well.

Sometimes the wrong personality or an unexpected company culture can be just as problematic as hiring someone without the required skills. Hiring someone who has a crass sense of humor can cause a lot of trouble in an office that prioritizes professionalism in communication, for example. On the other hand, a good fit has a much higher chance of adjusting to the work environment and making positive contributions to the company.

This is where many excellent HR departments go above and beyond hiring. Initiatives such as work mentorship programs benefit everyone involved, especially smaller companies. They allow new hires to quickly pick up on not just the skills but the culture and social environment of the workplace. They’re also excellent opportunities for other employees to practice leadership skills.

Playing a supportive role

Another reason it’s important to fight the stigma that surrounds HR is that when employees feel comfortable going to HR, it makes a number of issues much easier to resolve. HR is in an excellent position to act as a mediator in the conflict. When there’s an issue between a manager and subordinate, having a good third-party arbitrator can often reduce the need for letting people go because the issue is much less likely to escalate.

Better yet, if employees consider HR offices as relatively safe places to talk about their feelings and frustrations, companies can gain a lot of insight into how their employees feel, what their pain points are, and which issues may be causing tension or burnout in the workplace. That information can then be turned into useful and actionable data about how to create a less toxic work environment in general. By aggregating the anonymous personal feedback of employees, managers and owners get an honest internal look at their work environment.

Company unity: training, culture, and events

Training isn’t just about job skills. To turn employees with promise into excellent managers, they also need leadership, communication and conflict resolution training. HR can be deeply involved in this leadership training process, setting the example for collaboration between departments, and between leaders and their teams.

HR departments also have the ability to contribute to a thriving company culture by planning in- and out-of-office events, getting employees involved with volunteer work, and keeping everyone apprised of the month-to-month employee-related changes in the company. It’s also important to talk to employees about their benefits: insurance packages, health savings accounts, time off accrual, and all the perks of working for you. A good benefits coordination team can boost employee satisfaction, especially with how complicated it can be to navigate American health insurance.

Human resources departments have a lot of power to boost the morale of employees, contribute to company culture, and to foster the creation of highly collaborative and productive teams. Not all the work these departments do is visible, but it might be time to think about adding more points of contact between employees and HR, to make the most of the department’s positive side.