As newsrooms shed higher-paid (read: “older”) employees in favor of younger ones, many employees may be taking on managerial roles for the first time. Rebecca Thorman writes today about what it’s like being the boss instead of the grunt. Things she’s learned:

• There’s nobody to commiserate with. “Who can understand the situations we’re in? Who can empathize and congratulate our failures and successes?”
• Sacrifice is part of the package. “For me, this means changing my mindset…It’s realizing that people will treat me differently, and that’s what I signed up for.
• Support groups are critical. “Generation Y leaders need to create their own groups, and those groups need to respond to how we work.”

How can the more experienced employees assist younger ones transitioning? What’s HR’s role in all this? Do you set up a mentor program and call it a day?