General Manager interview questions and answers

General Manager Interview Questions

General Managers are found in a wide range of industries including but not limited to retail, service, and hospitality. They are responsible for managing teams and facilities–say, a gym, restaurant, hotel, warehouse or a manufacturing floor at a factory. At a franchise, the General Manager may occupy the highest spot on a communication escalation plan. If a customer asks to speak to the person in charge, the frontline staff will connect them with the General Manager.

A General Manager’s primary role is that of a team leader. They are in charge of hiring, managing, and training employees, and for ensuring that they have the tools and resources to succeed. Their team also looks to them for insight on strategy and operations. General Managers often plan budgets, measure results, and identify threats and opportunities to their business.

Interpersonal skills are exceptionally important for this position, especially if the General Manager works for a business that wants to be known for exceptional customer service. Asking open-ended and situational questions will help you get a reliable glimpse of their leadership and communication style, so you can hire the right General Manager for your team.

Operational and Situational questions

• How would you describe your leadership style?
• Describe a time you led by example.
• What’s your approach to delegating employees? How do you ensure that tasks are carried out to completion?
• Describe someone you coached or mentored. What were they doing initially, and what are they doing now?
• How would you tell a colleague that he/she was underperforming?
• Talk about the time you led an important meeting.
• Talk about a successful work project involving multiple teams. What was your role in facilitating the project? What was the result?
• Have you ever had to execute a project with a small budget, or a lack of resources? How did you address these issues?
• Tell me about a time when your team was struggling to meet business goals. What happened? What did you do about it?
• Talk about a successful work project. What was your goal? What was the result?
• What changes did you make that resulted in increasing productivity, improving efficiency, or lowering costs?
• Walk us through a typical day at your last position. How do you prioritize your tasks?
• What are some industry trends that have an impact on your role as a manager?
• Why are you interested in our company? What is the relationship between this job and your career goals?