General Manager Interview Questions & Answers

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General Managers, also known as Managing Directors or Chief Operating Officers, are tasked with overseeing daily business activities, improving overall business functions, training heads of departments, managing budgets, developing strategic plans, creating policies, and communicating business goals.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of General Manager or an employer preparing to interview candidates for General Manager position, these General Manager interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

General Manager Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based General Manager interview questions.

1. If hired as our next general manager, what strategies would you use to increase our sales and revenue?
2. As a general manager, how do you delegate employees and tasks, and ensure they are completed?
3. Describe a time when you failed as a manager.
4. As a general manager, you may need to tell a work colleague that they are underperforming. How do you do this clearly and professionally?
5. Have you had a work project that involved multiple teams? What role did you take, and how did you make sure the project was successful?
6. What leadership positions do you take on outside of work?
7. What do you think are the biggest challenges that a general manager faces? How do you intend to manage that?
8. What key factors do you take into consideration when evaluating overall organizational performance?
9. How do you handle situations where staff doesn't fully agree with your strategies and procedures?
10. What qualities do you think are necessary for a successful general manager?
11. Are you prepared to work odd hours or during holidays?
12. As a general manager, have you ever made changes to how a company does things? Did your changes result in increased efficiency and better revenues?
13. What experience do you have in budgeting?
14. How would you go about evaluating the current processes and procedures and finding ways to increase your team’s efficiency?
15. What role do you believe competition serves in the workplace?
16. How do you create a culture of trust and transparency within your team?
17. Have you led a large team before? Are you comfortable with a team of over 50 people?
18. What is your leadership philosophy?
19. Tell me about a time when you led by example.
20. Have you seen increased productivity from junior employees you’ve actively mentored in the past?
21. What role does technology play in your management style?
22. How would you prepare for a meeting with upper management?
23. What’s your process for using data and metrics to improve your team’s productivity?
24. What steps would you take to improve the quality of products or services within your company?
25. In your opinion, how important are industry or market trends in the day-to-day operations of the company?
26. Are you comfortable managing a fast-paced work environment?
27. How do you handle stress and pressure when making decisions?
28. What best practices do you consider when onboarding new employees?
29. What types of software do you find most helpful in managing your day-to-day work?
30. What policies or procedures would you implement to help improve employee retention rates?
31. Tell me about a hiring decision that was difficult to make. Did you consult with anyone?
32. How would you improve customer service within your company?
33. What metrics do you pay the most attention to when conducting employee performance reviews?
34. Did you ever take on a project that had both a limited budget and resources? How did you manage these issues and meet your goals?
35. How would you manage training and development for your team?
36. How do you reward exceptional performance in your employees?
37. How will your experience in another industry transfer to effective management in this industry?
38. There may be some light travel involved in this position, specifically meeting with managers at other branches. Are you comfortable traveling for work?
39. Describe your customer service experience.
40. What does excellent customer service mean to you?
41. Describe a time when your proactive suggestions resulted in a positive outcome for the company.

General Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during General Manager interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. What is Your Greatest Strength?
2. What is Your Salary Expectation?
3. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
4. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
5. Why Do You Want This Job?
6. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
7. Tell Me About Yourself
8. Why Should We Hire You?
9. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
10. Are You a Leader or a Follower?

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