General Manager Interview Questions To Expect

Understanding what the company does, its mission and values can help you narrow down the businesses you want to work for. It lets you know if the business matches your values and career ambitions. Because let’s face it, you want to work for a company where you will fit right in. 

Our values at Greene King help remind us of what is important to all of us and why. We seek people who put the customer first, care about people and their communities, and are keen to succeed, take ownership, win, learn, and celebrate together. 

Highlighting these values in your interviews will let the Greene King team know that you’ve done your research and you’d be a great addition to the culture and team.

Understanding the role you are interviewing for is like having the roadmap to success. Don’t go in blindfolded - instead, read up on the key responsibilities of a General Manager position and the skills you’ll need. 

If you can think about how to connect the dots between your past jobs and the responsibilities and skills of a General Manager, your interviewers won’t know what hit them when you deliver the perfect answers to their anticipated questions. 

As one of our General Managers, you’ll lead by example in everything you do. If you have led a team in the past and have the results to show for it, this is what you want to shout about in your interview.

Let’s dive into the types of interview questions along with some great examples so you know exactly what to expect. 

• Situational is where you’ll be thrown into hypothetical situations and asked how you would approach them. For example, if the pub was really busy, how would you make sure that your team is still delivering an amazing experience for our customers? 
• Behavioral - these questions ask about your past experience. They might ask, “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.”
• Technical - you’ll be tested on your knowledge and skills as a General Manager. For instance, how do you keep on top of pub sales and keep your team on track throughout the month? 

Remember to keep calm and stay confident. We want you to do well in your interviews. It’s all about communicating your experience and skills and showing you can do the job.

You’ve put in the work and are ready to impress. The last step is to give a strong interview and let those interviewers know YOU are the person for the job. How, you might be wondering? 

By asking thoughtful questions! Remember, this is a chance for you to get to know the ins and outs of the job and interviewers to get to know you. Are you wondering about Diversity and Inclusion, what goals you will be expected to achieve in the first six months of the role or what the team structure looks like - now’s your chance to ask away!

The next top tip is to arrive on time, if not a few minutes early. Timeliness is important for General Managers as you are leading by example. If you set the tone by being late, your team will follow. Arriving on time shows you respect people’s time and are organised - the exact qualities of a General Manager!

You’ve mastered the interview questions, understood the role of a general manager, and know what it takes to give a showstopping interview - now it's time for you to shine. 

What questions are asked in a general manager interview?

They'll throw questions at you about leading a diverse team, knowing when to step in and help your people, and knowing your industry inside out. Get ready to chat about how you run the show, deal with challenges head on, and hit those business targets.

How do you ace a GM interview?

Do your homework on the company, shout about what you’ve learnt as a leader, and make sure your skills match up with what they're after. And don't forget to talk yourself up and show you know what's hot in the industry right now.

What are the six responsibilities of the general manager?

Usually, it's all about strategy, keeping the gears turning, handling finance, wrangling the team, keeping customers happy, and throwing in some innovation for good measure. GMs juggle a bit of everything to ensure things run smoothly.

What makes someone a good general manager?

You need to bring the heat with strong leadership, killer communication, big-picture thinking, the ability to roll with the punches, and some problem-solving magic. The best GMs really know their industry inside and out and can dance through the tricky stuff like it's a piece of cake.