How to be a Great General Manager: Key Insights and Traits
Running a pub or restaurant takes a special kind of person. Someone who can keep the team smiling, the customers happy, and the whole place ticking along nicely, even when the lunch rush has turned into a full-blown “where did everyone come from?” kind of shift.
That’s where General Managers come in. At Greene King, our General Managers lead from the front, build teams they’re proud of, and create the kind of warm welcome that keeps customers coming back. If you’re exploring General Manager jobs, herre's what makes someone great in the role.
WHAT IS A GENERAL MANAGER?
In a role as a General Manager, you’ll have the freedom to succeed and build a business to be proud of whilst creating a warm welcome for your customers. From the moment you step through the door, you’ll lead by example, ensuring our customers and teams have a great time.
At Greene King, we’re looking for General Managers passionate about pouring happiness into lives. A General Manager job description usually includes:
- leading and motivating the team
- creating brilliant customer experiences
- growing pub or restaurant sales
- managing day-to-day operations
- supporting team development
- bringing Greene King’s values to life
- making the pub a place the local community loves
WHERE DO GENERAL MANAGERS FIT INTO OUR BUSINESS?
General Managers sit right at the heart of our pubs and restaurants. They’re the ones who set the tone for the team, shape the customer experience, and make sure every shift has the right energy behind it.And, of course, they aren’t alone in achieving this. Assistant General Managers support them every step of the way.
At Greene King, our General Managers report to Area Managers who offer direction, coaching, and guidance. They maximise our potential to delight even more customers and serve as a hub of local activity.
WHY ARE GENERAL MANAGERS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF A BUSINESS?
General Managers are the heart and soul of our pubs and restaurants, as they play a key role in growing our pub sales to new heights.
General Managers help grow pub sales, but the role is about more than numbers. It’s about knowing your customers, understanding your team, and building a place people genuinely enjoy being part of.
At Greene King, our General Managers have room to try new ideas and make their pub feel special. That could mean getting behind community events, supporting team development, improving the customer experience, or finding clever ways to make everyday service even better.
When a General Manager gets it right, everyone feels it. The team feels more confident. Customers feel more welcome. The pub feels alive.
Customers are at the heart of Greene King, so when our General Managers recruit and develop their teams, they’ll equip new team members with the knowledge they need to delight our customers.
HOW TO BE A GREAT GENERAL MANAGER
Being a great General Manager takes a proper mix of skills. You need commercial know-how, people skills, patience, energy, and the ability to stay calm when three things need your attention at once.This one’s a big one for us at Greene King - knowing how to lead, inspire, and rally your team. You set the tone, and we pride ourselves on being a welcoming place for people to be happy, laugh, be themselves, and relax.
General Managers are the bridges that connect different departments, so you’ll be able to get your ideas across and understand others.
We’re working hard to make Everyday Inclusion a reality for all our people every day. This means you’ll be working with lots of different personalities, and having solid people skills will help you navigate these waters like a pro.
As a General Manager, you aren’t just running the show.
You are shaping our culture, inspiring those around you, and achieving success for your pub or restaurant.
UNLEASH YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AS A GENERAL MANAGER
Bring your passion for community, people, and customer service to Greene King and create a welcoming space for locals to enjoy, relax, and have fun.
Embrace tradition, lead your community, make a real impact, and lead your team to success as a General Manager.
Apply to our General Manager jobs at Greene King today.
Tags
related jobs
Salary
Upto £12.71
Location
Burnbrae (Bearsden)
Business Area
FOH Teammate - 500097
Brand
Pub & Grill - BRA_205
Hours
Full time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As Bar & Waiting Staff, you’ll be key to creating unforgettable moments for customers, whether you’re pouring a pint or recommending the perfect drink to a customer after a long day, you’ll keep the g
Reference
5b1dfd90-ef35-4544-807f-b79c8f4b5965
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.25
Location
Mount Radford (Exeter)
Business Area
Cleaner (Operations) - 500800
Brand
Urban - BRA_209
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As a Cleaner, you’ll make sure everything in the pub is clean, tidy, and ready for us to welcome our customers. You’ll be joining a fun and inclusive team, where you can grow and strengthen your skill
Reference
02b58449-8b66-4205-ab87-c1a44bc1ee36
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.50
Location
St Margarets Tavern (Twickenham)
Business Area
FOH Team Leader - 500026
Brand
Heritage - BRA_208
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Leader Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As a Team Leader, you’ll lead by example, making sure the team have everything they need so the shift runs like clockwork! You’ll make sure the team maintain high standards and that our customers are
Reference
a2481557-fd73-4262-9603-d2535990dff6
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.25
Location
West Gate (Bath)
Business Area
FOH Teammate - 500097
Brand
Urban - BRA_209
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As Bar & Waiting Staff, you’ll be key to creating unforgettable moments for customers, whether you’re pouring a pint or recommending the perfect drink to a customer after a long day, you’ll keep the g
Reference
aa7046d4-fe58-41b0-bb4b-239dcefd52de
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.25
Location
Boat House (Wallingford)
Business Area
FOH Teammate - 500097
Brand
Pub & Social - BRA_202
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As Bar & Waiting Staff, you’ll be key to creating unforgettable moments for customers, whether you’re pouring a pint or recommending the perfect drink to a customer after a long day, you’ll keep the g
Reference
c7b31699-519f-4773-af33-6cf0e1806b32
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.25
Location
Shakespeare (Bristol)
Business Area
BOH Teammate - 500104
Brand
Heritage - BRA_208
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Fixed Term (Fixed Term)
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As a Kitchen Assistant, you’ll play a key part in the kitchen ensuring a busy service runs smoothly. You’ll make sure everything is well stocked, clean, and the team around you have everything they ne
Reference
6b6229b2-5872-47ed-bd0c-6d8ab9f3075a
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £13.25
Location
Boars Head (Herongate)
Business Area
BOH Teammate - 500104
Brand
Chef & Brewer - BRA_101
Hours
Full time
Team Member Sub-Type
Fixed Term (Fixed Term)
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As a Chef, you will…Prepare, cook, and present food that meets specs and customer expectationsMaintain hygiene levels and safety regulations in the kitchen to help guarantee the safety of your entire
Reference
1705d265-7df9-446b-af3a-a3d40148446e
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £12.71
Location
Railway (Meols)
Business Area
FOH Teammate - 500097
Brand
Hungry Horse - BRA_104
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As Bar & Waiting Staff, you’ll be key to creating unforgettable moments for customers, whether you’re pouring a pint or recommending the perfect drink to a customer after a long day, you’ll keep the g
Reference
c074fcdf-9328-48b7-bb9f-b64b322a72a7
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £12.21
Location
Hillfield Farm (Solihull)
Business Area
FOH Teammate - 500097
Brand
Farmhouse Inns - BRA_102
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
As Bar & Waiting Staff, you’ll be key to creating unforgettable moments for customers, whether you’re pouring a pint or recommending the perfect drink to a customer after a long day, you’ll keep the g
Reference
29f8a90e-5f21-454e-ad88-3f089ef0aa9c
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Upto £14.00
Location
Old Tea Warehouse (London)
Business Area
Chef de Partie - 500117
Brand
Metro Pub Co - BRA_302
Hours
Part time
Team Member Sub-Type
Permanent
Compensation grade
Team Member in Pub Hourly
Team Member Type
Employee
Description
Pizza Chef – Monday to FridayCity of London | Monday to Friday | 11:00am–5:00pm No weekends • No bank holidaysWe’re looking for a friendly, reliable Pizza Cook/Chef to run the kitchen at our small, w
Reference
769cd2a8-654c-4124-b78c-cdf9976908c7
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
related posts
Teaser
Head OfficeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
09/15/2026
Summary
What does it take to deliver great digital experiences for our customers?. We caught up with Becci Moreton, Delivery Manager within Greene King’s Digital Delivery team, to find out. Becci shares wh
by
Kat Ross
Teaser
Head OfficeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
09/15/2026
Summary
Meet Lee Millward, Cloud Engineer at Greene King. From starting his career on the Service Desk to progressing through Infrastructure and now working as a Cloud Engineer, Lee Millward has built
by
Kat Ross
Teaser
ManagementContent Type
BlogsPublish date
08/03/2026
Summary
There’s a certain buzz to a busy pub shift. Orders are coming in, customers are catching up over food and drinks, and the team is working together to keep everything moving. As a Pub Team Leader, you’
by
Carol Watson
Teaser
Head OfficeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
08/01/2026
Summary
You’ve applied for the job, your interview is in the diary and now it’s time to get ready. Feeling a few nerves? Completely normal. An interview means meeting new people and talking about yourself, wh
by
Sally Poulton
Teaser
Head OfficeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
07/29/2026
Summary
People are at the heart of hospitality. They are the friendly face at the bar, the calm head in a busy kitchen and the team behind the scenes keeping everything moving. Our HR team helps those people
by
Charlotte Insley (She/Her)
Teaser
Bar and WaitingContent Type
BlogsPublish date
07/03/2026
Summary
Finding work that fits around real life can feel like juggling all the demands of busy weekend shift. That’s why flexible pub jobs can be such a good fit if you’re balancing study, childcare, another
by
Kat Ross
Teaser
Bar and WaitingContent Type
BlogsPublish date
07/03/2026
Summary
The school summer holidays can be a funny old time for teachers. As the days open up, you may be tempted to earn a bit extra, meet new people and do something that feels completely different. 18% of
by
Kat Ross
Teaser
KitchenContent Type
BlogsPublish date
06/30/2026
Summary
Every brilliant plate of pub food has a busy kitchen behind it. And behind that kitchen? Usually a Head Chef making sure the team has what it needs, every dish meets the mark and service keeps moving
by
Varsha Odedra
Teaser
A day in the lifeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
06/22/2026
Summary
Meet Tom Hawkins, a Finance Centre of Excellence (FCoE) Apprentice who is kickstarting his career in finance through an apprenticeship. We spoke to Tom about his journey so far, what a typical day lo
by
Lauren Callear
Teaser
Head OfficeContent Type
BlogsPublish date
06/15/2026
Summary
When you think of our pubs your mind probably jumps to award-winning beers and hearty Sunday roasts. These experiences are powered by cutting-edge technology, from systems that keep tills ticking to
by
Rachel Jones