- Tell us do you work well under pressure?
I tend to be more focused and aware under pressure, I thrive in a fast paced environment.
- What do you like about your present job?
It provides me with constant new challenges to test my abilities.
Communicating and meeting with new people.
Able to use your initiative.
Working as part of a team.
- What questions do you have for me?
What would you like to see me accomplish with this store.
- What are your weaknesses as General Manager?
Occasionally I have been told that I take longer than other colleagues to complete complicated projects or tasks. But this is only because I want to make sure the work I do is to the highest standards.
My MS PowerPoint skills are weak, so I have enrolled on a evening course to improve them.
I am sometimes accused of being over friendly.
- Tell me about your experience handling office work?
I tend to be organized and clean i mthought its not strong point.
- What do you enjoy about the industry you are in?
I can’t really give you a accurate answer because at this time I don’t know the scope of the job, it’s responsibilities, hours, etc.
The job I perform, the salary I receive and the circumstances at my current company are not really comparable to the opportunity we are discussing today. However when I consider my skill sets, academic qualifications and work experience, I am confident that a salary between £25,000 – £33,000 would be appropriate.
- What are your strengths as General Manager?
I have been told that i am honest, reliable and ethical.
Your sense of urgency, if you know that a task is important, then you will work hard to get it done on time.
You are a fast learner.
Ability to communicate with people.
Flexible enough to handle changing environments.
Able to cope with setback and learn from my mistakes.
- Tell us What have your achievements been to date?
Give a solution that is related to work and if possible the job you are applying for. Demonstrate something that shows how you saved a previous employer money, made them more efficient or increased revenue.
- How do you go out of your way to please an upset customer?
Completely listen to their problem and come to a solution that will satisfy the guest.
- What do you believe is the role of the manager?
The role of a manger is leadership; influencing others according to a plan. We do this by being assertive not aggressive or passive. A manager delivers a goal being direct, honest, and respectful.
- How do you deal with stress?
No general manager’s post comes without stress so you must ensure that you ask this question to know if the person who could potentially be your next general manager has the ability to deal with the stress that comes with the territory. When hiring someone for the post you are looking for an individual who is possibly a perfectionist, who has a fighting spirit and who is persevering, what you aren’t looking for is a person that is very hot tempered and unapproachable. If you make the mistake of hiring someone who is unable to deal with stress in any form then you are making a huge mistake as general manager deals with a number of stressful situations on a daily basis
- What’s your current salary?
My present employer pays me well outside of the norm, however I would not like to limit my job prospects by using that salary as a comparison.
As a highly valued member of the company, I am paid on the very high end of current market rates.
- Why did you leave your previous job as General Manager?
If you have never interviewed someone for the post of a general manager before, then you shouldn’t think that asking a question like this is inappropriate. It is always useful to know whether the individual was fired or has quit and it would possibly benefit you to call his or her previous employers and cross check the details just to make sure that there is no discrepancy. If the candidate quit the previous job to apply for a better one, then an answer like this is acceptable however if the individual was fired for something immoral and inappropriate in the work place then it would be better for you to steer clear of appointing such a person to your firm who could bring some disrepute to it.
- Tell me what are the most critical skills a manager needs to succeed in today’s business climate?
Refer back to the key behavioral competencies for a management position. Relate them to management tasks that are impacted on by current economic conditions, such as planning and executing, cost-control, developing and motivating employees and communicating and managing change.
- Where do you see yourself in say four years’ time?
In four years time I aim to have improved my abilities and to be a leader in my field. This will mean that I can contribute more to my employers and their business.
That really depends on how well I perform in my job and also what career opportunities come my way. However the bottom line is that I want to have improved my skill sets and be making a ongoing contribution to any organization that i happen to be working for.
- Tell us What Would You Do if You Had a Subordinate Doing Their Job Inefficiently?
True leadership is about personal responsibility. That is why an effective answer to this question is, “I consider anyone who works with me to be an extension of my effectiveness as manager. I will discuss any problems with the employee individually and honestly, but if their work affects the bottom line of the company, their shortcomings are also my responsibility.”
- What are you currently reading?
I have found in nearly 30 years of experience, those who read are stronger employees, more creative and can be more objective.
- According to what you think, describe a typical work week for a general manager?
Asking this question to a potential general manager is a sure shot way of gauging how apt the candidate is for the job. If he or she is able to touch upon practically all the aspects of the job requirements then you know that he or she knows what the job entails. Based on the candidates words if you get a feeling that the person does not really have a grasp of all the weekly responsibilities of being a general manager then you know that this is not the person you are looking for.
- What do your work colleagues think of you regarding your management?
Be positive but do not go over the top. For instance comment on how associates have in the past remarked on your friendly attitude, thoroughness and ability to get things done on time.
- If any dish is not selling, what will you discuss with the Chef?
We can review if we can still do something to improve the taste, presentation and portion. Otherwise, remove it from the menu and replace it with something seemingly saleable.
- Tell us what do you consider to be the most challenging aspect about being a manager in business today?
There are a number of complex challenges that managers now face including having access to fewer resources, managing more specialized and more diverse teams and having to operate within a constantly changing and highly competitive environment. Relate your answer to the knowledge you have of the job, the company and the industry.
- How would you cope with a difficult colleague?
This really depends on what my co-worker is doing, the severity of their actions and the specific problems or disruption that they may be causing. Having said that no matter what the situation is, I would always remain in control of any situation and concentrate on my work. I would not take any arguments or heated discussions personally or hold grudges against work colleagues.
I would avoid them and only talk to them or cooperate with them when required to in the course of my daily duties.
- How Do You Delegate Tasks as General Manager?
You should answer this question with specific examples of methods you use to delegate tasks, “For each staff member I create a sheet of detailed, relevant tasks and estimated deadlines. I then meet with each staff member individually to ensure they also agree to the deadlines and answer any questions they have. I also schedule regular work in progress meetings to check in on their status.”
- Where do you see yourself professionally in our organization in one to two years?
I ask this instead of asking a job applicant where they see themselves professionally in five to ten years because their response allows me to determine the level of motivation and commitment for the position. If the response is overly ambitious, that’s a red flag.
- Give me a situation where a customer was upset and you handled the situation?
See if the guest would like a replacement or if they would like another entree to replace the one they do not like. Make sure to expedite the entree as quickly as possible and check to make sure the guest is happy.
- Tell me about the hardest conversation you ever had with an employee?
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden said it best: “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” Excellent managers project humility and kindness while at the same time confronting employees who are not in line with company goals.
- What challenges are you looking for in this general manager’s job?
Asking a question like this is vital so as to get an insight into not only how quick the individual can think when under pressure but how the candidate plans on using his or her experience, skills and qualifications to face various challenges that might come up along the way if hired to become the general manager. Based on the answer given you might gauge if the candidate is the sort of person that is afraid of challenge or if he or she is the rare kind to be motivated by the appearance of a challenge and is willing to face it head long.
- Have you ever been late to open the doors at a restaurant before?
No, never punctually is one of my main attributes.
- What do you dislike about your present job?
Sometimes it is difficult for me to get a sense of my own achievement in a big company like my present employer.
There are very few opportunities for advancement with my present employer who are a small company.
What NOT to mention:
Overtime issues.
Salary expectations.
- Tell me about a time you identified a problem and took action to correct it rather than wait for someone else to do it?
Initiative and problem solving are two important characteristics of successful managers. A strong leader should be able to regale you with details of multiple times they solved a problem without needing their supervisor to tap them on the shoulder – or kick them in the behind.
- Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?
What do you believe are the biggest challenges your company faces in the near future?
Can you tell me what brought you to work for the company, (this question is aimed at the interviewer).
What do you believe are the coming trends in your industry and how do you feel your company is positioned to take them on.
Following on from our conversation today and my belief that I am a suitable candidate for your position. If my application is successful when do you think I would be required to start work? (ask this right at the end).
- What are your qualifications and why do you think you are right for the job?
While you could easily find out these details from the candidates resume, by asking the person this question you are not only attempting to break the ice but you are also getting an idea of how well the candidates speaks and whether or not they actually believe in themselves. When you are employing someone to such a high post you need to make sure that the individual is qualified as well as has the ability to speak and communicate his ideas well. Remember that this person will be representing your company or business at meetings as well as other social gatherings, so would you really like someone who rambles and cannot get his point across to be representing your company and talking to clients and buyers?
- If food cost rise above 30%, what will you do to lower the cost?
Begin weekly or daily inventory on highest price items or desirable items. Have Pre-shift meetings about portion size and waste. Require managers to check all orders in and verify with vendor. Verify that items are being correctly rung in or charged for. Investigate discounts, coupons and comp %. Watch for any unusual patterns with numbers or behavior.
- What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?
If I had a time machines I would go back to University and taken a degree in Business Studies rather than Hospitality.
I stayed too many years in a job that was stable but didn’t offer me enough challenges or opportunities for growth.
- How Do You Keep Staff Members Motivated as General Manager?
Management job interview questions about motivating staff or delegating tasks are common in management interviews. When you answer them you should focus on communication and team building, “I do my best to show recognition and acknowledgement to all employees that meet goals, which keeps morale high and employees on task. Also, when applicable, I keep tasks interdependent within the team, so that staff members require and encourage fellow staff members to complete their work.”
- How do you drive?
While there is really no right or wrong answer, I can often deduce the overall work style of a job candidate by their response. If they say they are a cautious, careful driver I tend to learn that they are a little gun shy when it comes to making decisions at work as it relates to their daily responsibilities. They often will need a secondary party before they can move forward. If they respond that they are fast or aggressive or they get where they need to when they need to and on time, I often deduce that the candidate has a more confident, determined approach.
- Have you ever sought out criticism from your supervisor? How did it go?
Humility is one of the most important traits of all employees, especially managers. Candidates will claim they are humble and could put on a good show during the interview. They’ll even tell you how meaningful they consider constructive criticism. This question tests to what degree their actions match their words.
- If there were three of your closest friends sitting right here, what would they say about you?
This answer tells me more about the social skills of the applicant and their ability to get along with others in the office. It also gives me more insight into their real personality.
- Tell me about the last employee you fired. What led up to it, and how did you do the firing?
A well-rounded manager has experience getting some employees good and getting other employees gone. This question will give insight into how quickly (or slowly) the manager reacted and how humanely (or inhumanely) they treated the outgoing employee. This question can also shed light on a manager’s courage (or lack of courage) to confront a substandard employee.
- What exactly is it in your background that makes you feel like you are qualified for this position?
The best type of response is an anecdote of an experience the candidate had which is germane to the requirements of the position.
- What is the first change you would like to make if you hypothetically do become general manager?
In addition to having exceptional leadership and managerial skills, a good general manager has a vision for the company. By asking the potential candidate about the change he or she is going to make first, you get an insight into the kind of dream the person has for the company. If you own a company you obviously want your company to become bigger and more successful in the years to come, so keeping this goal of yours in mind you should hire a general manager who is willing to dream big and is always willing to put the needs of the company before his own.
- You’ve changed jobs five times in the past five years, why should we think you are likely to stay here for a long time?
I do not believe that my career history is an accurate reflection of my character or abilities. Stability is important to me and I am anxious to work long term for one company. Although my CV shows that I have worked for a five different companies over a short period of time, the reason for this was that I had a elderly and frail relative to look after during this period.
Say that previous job roles failed to challenge you.
State that you current desire is to find long term employment and then give a reason for this i.e. your recently bought a house, just got married or are in a new committed long term relationship etc.
Mention and highlight any jobs you have held for long periods.
Point out the duties in the job you are applying for and state that these are the challenges you have been looking for.
- How did you ensure those systems didn’t erode? How did you make sure they operated successfully for years?
Successful managers enable their department or team to achieve high performance without the supervisor’s constant intervention. Excellent managers will solve the immediate problem plus will install a permanent solution so the company doesn’t suffer from the same mistakes again. Competent managers test the system from multiple angles to ensure its dependability.
- Thinking back to your last performance review, what performance areas were reviewed and how did you fare on each one?
This question tells me how serious the candidate’s last company was about employee performance and whether the candidate actually cared about/paid attention to how s/he did in each area and was being rated.
- If I yelled from my office, “Hey, bring me a cup of coffee!” how would you respond?
I ask both men and women this question and I look for body language and their verbal response. If the question was met with a smile or a slight shrug, it indicates a sense of humor and an easy-going nature. In their verbal response I am looking for an applicant willing to do whatever it takes to help the team find success but always like to hear, “I’d get it for you — and then show you how to get it yourself the next time.
- Why do you want to work for our company as General Manager?
► There are only a limited number of opportunities for advancement with my current employer. Which is why I’m keen on working for a larger corporation like yours where I believe there are more possibilities to show what I’m capable of.
► I’d like to work for a company where I feel I can make a real difference.
► A common way to reply to this is to research the company before hand, find something unique about them and then give that as your answer. For instance they may have opened up a new store or launched a new product.
► Give examples of positive things you have heard about them and say you want to be associated with a reputable brand.
► You believe their work environment is more fun, energetic and rewarding.
► My main reason is financial, my complimentary reasons are the opportunity to work for a market leader and also future promotion.
► After researching your company I have discovered that it is a industry leader and has a excellent reputation. I was also greatly impressed by your companies mission statement, values and culture. I feel strongly that yours is a organization that I would like to work for and be associated with.
► I feel that your vacancy ideally fits my work experience, skills and qualifications. Therefore I will be able to make a significant contribution to your business as well as fulfill my potential.
► I believe your company will help me to develop my career in the direction I want it to go.
- Tell me about a problem you have solved?
This can be a tricky question to answer, especially if you have never held a supervisory / managerial position or had any form of responsibility. In your replies you need to display resourcefulness, an ability to solve problems, your decision making skills and be able to clearly explain the approach you used. No matter how little work experience you have you should always be able to lead and come up with creative solutions. Describe situations where you came up with an idea that increased efficiency in your office or cut costs after you discovered a cheaper supplier etc.
- Tell us What do you do outside of work?
Travelling.
Foreign languages.
Football.
Winning any competitions i.e. chess, karate.
Running marathons.
A member of any societies or charities.
- Communication Based General Manager’s Interview Questions:
Communication is the number one tool managers use to manage. Effective managers are effective communicators. Poor communicators make ineffective managers. Be prepare to answer several questions designed to test your communication skills and ability. The questions below are often used by hiring managers to test a management candidate’s ability to communicate effectively.
► How do you communicate expectations to team members?
► How do you communicate to an employees that he or she is not meeting expectations?
► What is your preferred communication style?
► Decribe five things about communication within a team that must be present in order to have a productive environment.
► On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 representing excellent, please rate your communication skills. Provide me 3 examples from previous work experiences that show the number your selected is accurate.
► Explain how you develop relationships with managers, clients, and other colleagues.
► Explain in detail steps and actions you’ve taken to build relationships with new clients.
► What types of people are difficult to persuade? How do you motivate others?
- Teamwork Based General Manager’s Interview Questions:
Teamwork is at the center of corporate management today. If you can’t manage a team, you aren’t an effective manager. Corporations are seeking managers who can effectively manage teams of professionals with diverse skills sets and personalities. As such, interviewers will ask numerous questions to job candidates being considered for positions where teamwork is vital. The following are common teamwork related questions hiring managers often ask during the interview process.
► Tell me about a team project you successfully managed.
► What is your philosophy for delegating responsibilities?
► In your experience, what makes a successful team?
► Have you ever managed a team where there was a strong disagreement between team members? How did you handle it?
► What is your strategy for resolving disagreements?
► What is your methodology for team building? How do you select team members?
► What strategies would you use to motivate your team?
► How would you describe your team management style?
► Share a rewarding team experience.
► How do you empower team members you oversee?
► Why should I hire you as team leader?
- Delegating General Manager’s Questions:
Managers aren’t expected to do it all themselves, but they are expected to get it all done. To accomplish this, managers have to be able to delegate — and delegate effectively. In order to be an effective management candidate you must demonstrate to the interviewer — through your answers — that you can assign duties to team members. The following are a few common interview questions designed to test a candidates ability to delegate.
► What method do you employ for delegating tasks to your team members?
► How do you ensure that taks are successfully completed? Are there any steps you take?
► What type of instructions do you provide your staff when you decide to delegate?
► Are there times when you shouldn’t delegate?
► What should you assume about a team member if you want to delegate successfully?
► Tell me about an important task or assignment that you delegated?
► Is there a difference between assignment and delegation?
► What types of tasks can be delegated? What types cannot?
► How do you decide which tasks to delegate to which employees?
- Sample General Manager’s Interview Questions:
Competency Based Question for GM:
► What do you do on an ongoing basis to keep your professional skills up to date?
► Indicate some of the significant development efforts you have undergone in the last few years.
► What do you see as the key competencies needed in your current assignment and how have you gone about developing these?
Respect For Sacred Resources Based Question for GM:
► What type of budgetary responsibility do you carry in your current assignment? How well have you kept within that budget?
► Have you had significant experience with cost reduction efforts? Tell us about an experience.
► Can you share an experience of how you have maximized the benefit produced from limited resources you were given to work with?
Integrity Based Question for GM:
► Tell us what you do to ensure that you meet the work commitments you make to others?
► Tell us about an experience where you had to confront someone or give candid feedback?
► How did you do it? What did you say?
Teamwork Based Question for GM:
► What are some of the things you are doing to ensure the effectiveness of the team you are leading?
► Have you been on a dysfunctional team? What did you do as a team member or team leader to address the problems?
► Tell us about a time where you disagreed with the objectives or direction of a team you were on. How did you handle this?
Exceeding Customer Expectations Based Question for GM:
► What types of efforts are you making to serve your customers and to exceed customer expectations?
► How are you gathering feedback from your customers and how do you use this feedback?
► Tell us about a time where you wowed a customer.
Respect For Others Based Question for GM:
► How do you currently encourage people on your team to express their ideas and opinions? Can you give an example?
► How do you handle disagreement? Give us an example.
► Tell us your experience in working with others of diverse background from yours. How you handle differences that come from different backgrounds?
Innovation Based Question for GM:
► Tell us about an innovation that you’ve introduced in your work area.
► What have you done to introduce change or redefine the way work gets done in your area?
► What continuous improvement methodologies are you familiar with? Tell us about your experience.
Accountability Based Question for GM:
► What kind of system or method are you currently using for reporting progress on your work?
► What kind of metrics or measure do you currently use to measure the work in your area?
► How do you follow through on projects that you delegate to others? Can you give an example?
- Motivational General Manager’s Questions:
It’s important for a manager to be productive. However, it’s much more important for a manager’s team to be productive. Managers are motivators. Managers must have the energy, attitude and people skills to motivate their team members to maximize productivity. If a manager knows how to make decisions and knows how to delegate, but isn’t a good motivator, they’ll still be an ineffective manager. The questions below are often used by hiring managers to test a candidate’s ability to motiviate.
► What is motivation?
► Share a work related experience that demonstrates your ability to encourage and motivate another person.
► Pretend you were the recipient of a coveted award three years from now. What is the reward? Why did you receive it?
► Describe time when you and your team were lacking moral and explain what you did to raise spirits?
► How do you make employees feel valued?
► What will you do to retain valued employees?
► What non-monetary factors to you feel help motivate employees?
► What kind of work culture do you think increase moral and employee motivation level?
► What type of incentives or rewards work best for motivating team members?
► Describe a time when you successfully motivated an employee who didn’t want to take on a new assignment.
- GENERAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR GM:
Customer Service Based Interview Questions:
► Give me an example of the type of work experience you have had on a day-to-day basis with the public.
► What has been your most rewarding experience dealing with the public/customers?
► What “new way of doing things” did you introduce in your last job in dealing with the public?
► What typical kinds of customer dissatisfaction were inherent in your last job? How did you deal with this?
► What types of things were you able to do to help in alleviating this customer dissatisfaction?
► Give me an example of a time when you were able to help an angry customer with a problem.
► How do you define great customer service?
► What would others say about how you handle customers? Would they want you to wait on them? Did anyone ever ask for you?
► What kind of recommendation would your previous supervisor give you regarding your customer relations skills?
► Do you like working with the general public? Would you prefer to work alone?
► Give me an example when you were praised for your people skills in a past job.
► You have an angry customer that comes up to you. His/her past dealing with the department has been negative. This time he/she is going to get it done right. He/she demands you put him/her on top priority basis. Your department is now running a major project for your supervisor and can’t accommodate this customer. How would you handle the customer?
Able to Handle Pressure Based Interview Questions:
► Describe a situation where you were under a great deal of pressure. How did you handle it?
► We have a real pressure-cooker position here. (Explain why) Have you had a position that relates to this situation? How did you handle the pressure?
► Constant pressure gets to all of us after a long period of time. Describe an incident where you did not handle pressure well.
► Did your position have cyclical periods when you were extremely busy and then dead periods? How long did they last? What was it like during both periods of time?
► What flusters you when a deadline is near?
► If I called your supervisor, what would he/she say about your ability to handle pressure? What would he/she say you needed to improve on?
Able to Supervise Employees Based Interview Questions:
► How many people have you supervised at one time? How many were Part-time? Full-time? How long were you their supervisor?
► Did you have the sole responsibility of hiring/firing these people? Did your supervisor have any say in who was hired/fired?
► Give me an example of a time when you handled an employee grievance that resulted in better working relationships.
► Give me an example of a time when you handled a grievance that did not result in better working relationships. What would you have done differently?
► What have you done to motivate your employees? Were they motivated? Give me a time when they were or were not.
► What kind of management style do you take with your employees? How do you treat your employees? How do you resolve discipline problems?
► What would your employees say about you as a manager? Were you an example of what you expected from others?
► How did you elicit cooperation from your employees? Give me an example of a time when an employee would not do what was asked. How did you handle this?
► What is required of a good leader? Which of these skills are you better at? What skills would your supervisor say that you would need to improve upon to be a better leader/supervisor?
Accurate Based Interview Questions:
► Have you ever worked for a supervisor that demanded accuracy of you? What activities required accuracy?
► Suppose we called your supervisor and asked “Is (name) accurate in what he/she does?” What would your supervisor say?
► When it comes to accuracy, what do you need to improve on?
► Could you give me an example of the type of work you did on a day-to-day basis that required accuracy?
► Are you strongest in the areas of accuracy or speed? Why? Working on what?
► Did the pressure of your past job lend itself to a mistake environment?
► In some positions it is very easy to make errors. What do you do to control errors?
Dependable Based Interview Questions:
► When we call your supervisor, what will he/she tell us about your ability to be dependable?
► When the workday starts are you the first one there?
► How would you define a dependable employee? Are you known as a dependable individual? Why?
► Describe how you have organized yourself in your present job so that you could create a dependable atmosphere with your clients/customers.
► When we check for references what will your supervisor tell us about the number of days you were absent last year?
► During a typical month, how many days are you be late to work?
Detail Oriented Based Interview Questions:
► Give me an example of the deadlines that needed to be met in your last job. How did you make sure things got done?
► Give me an example of a time when you thought you had “it all nailed down” but a detail you missed fell through the cracks. What happened?
► Give an example of the most detail-oriented positions you have had.
► Describe a situation where you had to multi task. How did you handle it?
► How do you keep track of duties that must get done concurrently?
- Operational and Situational General Manager Interview 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?
- Leadership Based General Manager’s Interview Questions:
Leadership is unquestionably one of the top skills hiring managers are looking for in management job candidates. Leadership entails much more than just managing people. It encapsulates the ability to effectively communicate vision, motivate and empower, delegate responsibility, make tough decisions, turn vision into reality and guide employees through change. Below are several leadership related questions you can expect to see in your next management interview.
► Describe an example of how you’ve demonstrated leadership in a previous job.
► What specific strategies have you used to lead a team?
► What are the key attributes of a successful leader?
► How would past coworkers and team members rate your leadership skills? What would they say about your leadership style?
► What factors do you consider when faced with tough decisions?
► How do you make a decision when important facts are unavailable?
► What methods do you utilize to resolve problems?
► Provide examples of creative solutions you relied on to solve major problems.
► Explain how you’ve delegated responsibilities and coordinated tasks during previous projects.
► Explain how you’ve adapted to project changes in the past.
► What skills and knowledge do you still need to develop? Explain what you’ve done to increase your business knowledge and skills.
► How do you manage large workloads? What do you do to prioritize daily responsibilities?
► Explain how you’ve dealt with past failures.
► How do you determine what colleagues should have key project roles?
- Decision Making General Manager’s Questions:
Managers make decisions. They make a lot of decisions. They make decisions that affect productively, stability and profitability of their department and the organizations they represent. Good managers are good decision makers. The following are a few common interview questions designed to test a candidates ability to make decisions.
► What is the process you typically follow to make a decision about a plan of action?
► When given two or three equally viable paths to achieve an object, how do you decide which path to follow?
► Please explain the process you used to select the college you attended.
► What is your process or methodology for making important decision?
► When faced with several options, none of which is sufficient to accomplish your goal, how do you decide with option to pursue?
► When is it important to make a decision quickly? When should you take time to make a decision?
► Have you ever delayed any decision-making? What were the consequences for your company?
► Do you make decisions on your own without input from others? When do you seek advice from others when making decisions?
- Basic Common General Manager’s Interview Questions:
Handle Complex Problems Based Interview Questions:
► Give me an example of the last major project you worked on. What was your role? Did you work as a team? What were the issues involved?
► Do you have any statistical background, either in school or on the job?
► Could you describe a decision you recently made that was initially unpopular with your supervisors or staff? How did you handle it?
► Describe how you think through a difficult problem.
► Have you ever had to “sell” top management on a decision you made? Please describe the situation.
► Describe a project you recently worked on that got “bogged down” for some reason and what you did to put it back on line.
► What types of problems do you solve on a day-to-day basis?
► Did you make any changes in the firm you felt particularly proud of?
► Give me an example of a very complex problem or issue you have faced. How did you solve the problem?
Power Questions Based Interview Questions:
► In the next 2 minutes, tell me about your professional experience/history.
► What kind of professional development and training would make you a more effective employee?
► What aspects of your previous position did you find professionally challenging?
► Why did you leave your last job?
► What particular skills or experiences make you the best match for this position?
► Did you get along well with the people on your last job? Explain.
► What types of people seem to “rub you in the wrong way?”
► Expand on those aspects of your schooling (or job) that you found to be most satisfying?
► What experience do you have with (equipment, procedures, tasks, etc.)?
► Why do you think this company should hire you?
► What do you expect from the company that hires you?
► In what ways could you contribute to this job?
► How long do you think it would take you before you could contribute to this job?
► What do you consider to be the ideal reporting relationship?
► How do you feel an employee should be approached regarding his/her job performance?
► Where does this position fall along your career path?
► Do you consider yourself a self-starter? Why?
Office Skills Based Interview Questions:
► What kind of training, schooling, or experience do you have regarding office skills and abilities?
► How would you rate your Microsoft Word skills? Why did you rate yourself that way? How long have you used it on the job? Have you had formal training or did you learn on the job?
► Give me an example of the types of things you would use MS Word for. What functions are you familiar with and use daily? Which functions do you use occasionally?
► Are you as familiar with Quattro Pro/Excel as you are with WordPerfect/MS Word? Have you created spreadsheets and macros with Quattro Pro/Excel?
► Which of your former jobs required the use of your office skills to their optimum? Describe.
► Which firm utilized your telephone skills? What type of clientele did you work with?
► Which office do you feel exhibited the most professional atmosphere? Was the dress standards – written or unwritten? What do you feel creates a professional atmosphere? How did you contribute to the overall professionalism of the office?
► Which of your personality traits do you feel will be most effectively utilized in this position?
► How did you learn to put your job tasks in order? How do you plan and organize to save time?
► What kinds of things did you refer to your supervisor? What kinds of things did your supervisor refer to you?
► Depict a situation where you had to give repetitive information, or answer similar questions. How did you make the situation tolerable?
► Are there any skills or experiences etc. that we have not discussed that you feel would be relevant to this position?
Current/Last Job Based Interview Questions:
► Tell me about your current/last job:
► To whom do you report?
► What aspects of your previous position did you find professionally challenging?
► What were your two most important achievements in your current job?
► How do you think your subordinates would describe you as a manager and supervisor?
► What attributes do you believe an effective manager should possess?
► What plans do you have for self-development in the next 12 months?
► What types of criticisms are leveled at you most often?
► Many of us improve our personal interaction with others as we mature. Looking back over the past two years, in what way have you improved?
► What steps do you generally follow in making a decision?
► Tell me what your supervisor would say about your secretarial skills and abilities. What particular things would he/she tell me are your strong points clerically? What would he/she tell me that you would need to improve upon?
Work with Little Supervision Based Interview Questions:
► Give me an example of a time when you were able to complete a project without immediate supervision. Was this normal? Did your supervisor often give you tasks to do which did not require direct supervision?
► Give me an example of the kind of tasks or projects your supervisor would closely supervise.
► Did your job require direct supervision? Or were you able to complete most things on your own?
► What would your supervisor say about your abilities to complete tasks as assigned? What kind of a recommendation would this supervisor give me?
► Do you prefer working alone, or with others?
► In this regard, what job has given you the most job satisfaction in relationships with other employees? With customers? With your supervisor?
► Would you rather be closely supervised and given good direction, or work out the solutions for yourself?
- Tell us How Would You Describe Your Management Style?
One of the most common management job interview questions is going to be about your specific management style. There are various ways to answer this question. You may be tempted to share a specific management style, but the best answer to this question is, “I choose to adapt my management techniques based on the present situation, as work environments are constantly dynamic and often need to be handled in unique, novel ways.”
- Why did you leave your last job as General Manager?
There was no real room for growing my career.
The position you are advertising seems like a excellent match for my knowledge, abilities and qualifications.
I am keen to use my skill sets and abilities in a different capacity than I have in the past.
I am looking for a job that has more responsibility.
The reason for leaving my last job was that I wanted to spend more time with my family. I am now ready to go back into full time employment.
- If you could change one thing in your current position or company, what would that be?
The question can reveal a lot of information, including the real reason the applicant is looking to make a change, what’s important to them in their next position, whether they are really motivated to make a move and whether or not their expectations are realistic.
- Are you willing to be called into work at any time irrespective of what hour of the day or night it is?
You should ensure that you ask the individual if he or she is willing to be called into work whenever necessary irrespective of it being early hours of the day or even late hours of the night. Having a high end job like this could imply improvement on the financial front but on the personal or family front the person will have to give up on a great deal. Make sure you hire someone who is willing to make a serious commitment to the company in terms of the time and effort which he or she must be required to invest.
- What is Your Biggest Management Weakness as General Manager?
For all job interview questions, it is important to stay away from any true weaknesses or shortcomings. Yet with management questions, it is acceptable to offer a minute amount of humility with your own abilities to provide a believable answer. An effective answer to these types of interview questions is, “Sometimes in the heat of a deadline, I have found that I have overlooked great work by a staff member. I am working on making sure everyone I work with gets their deserved recognition for successful completion of their tasks, because it is important that every individual staff member be recognized for their contributions toward building the company’s success.”
- Tell me about the last spontaneous thing that you did in any facet of your life?
I look for an unusual response with something fun, like a last-minute trip or driving to Atlantic City at 11 o’clock at night. Something that shows me the person has some personality to react positively in different (and crazy) situations that oftentimes occur in our line of work.
- If money wasn’t a factor, what job would you do all day?
To be completely effective in any company, the candidate needs to feel passionate about what they are doing. Employees that settle eventually cost a company far more lost revenue than the hour wasted on interviewing the wrong person.
- How Do You Measure Your Success as a General Manager?
Try your best not to focus on existential, immeasurable goals. Job interviews want to know what you truly bring, and you should be able to measure the results. The best answer to this type of interview question is, “Management is about setting and reaching goals and employee/organizational relationships. I measure effectiveness by looking at the data, ensuring that I am meeting deadlines early and helping to achieve organizational growth, and keeping morale high and those under my supervision engaged and active in their tasks.”
- Are the company’s standards and policies in consonance with your own?
The decision to hire someone as general manager to your company or restaurant is no small one so you should not be afraid of taking your own time, because after all the success of your business depends on a large extent on how capable your general manager is and to what extent he or she represents the policies and high standards of the business. So asking this question will give you insight into whether or not he or she accepts and is willing to adhere to everything the company stands for.
- Tell me about a time that conflict occurred in one of your work groups and what did you do about it?
I find that how employees deal with conflict tells me a lot about them and how successful they will be.
- Tell me what you would like me to know about you?
With this question alone, I am able to discern what is most important to the candidate, what their hobbies and interests are, their communication skills, their sense (or lack of) humor, their presentation comfort level, their educational background, their grasp of what the position entails, and their work style.
- Do you have any doubts or queries in mind in relation to the job?
This is a mandatory question that is asked in practically all interviews to inquire if the candidate has to ask you any questions, once the process of you interviewing him or her is complete. Applying for any new job can be both new and confusing, so do take the time out to answer any questions that the candidate might be having in relation to salary, duties, responsibilities or any other aspect of the job.
- Do you get along well with others?
When hiring a general manager for your company or business you want to make sure that you are hiring someone with not just a great deal of social skills but also a person who gets along well with others. You need to ask this question to know if the person has the required outgoing personality to be a good general manger. In addition to meeting new clients and buyers he or she must also get along well with co workers, seniors and people at the lower ranks..
- If you had to give a title to your life story up to this point, what would it be and why?
This question gets people thinking and helps me see how someone reacts when caught off guard. The titles can be truly insightful, revealing struggles and challenges that they have faced and overcome.
- Why do you want to work here as General Manager?
It helps me instantly find out if the applicant has done any research on the company and if they will take as much pride in their job as I do.
- Do you have any previous managerial experience?
When you are hiring someone to such a high post it is always better to hire an individual who has some experience in the field. If the candidate has previous experience then he or she is less likely to have problems coping or dealing with pressure. However if there is someone who has no experience in being a general manger before, yet has all the credentials, skills and qualifications required to become an excellent general manager then you should not shy away from taking the risk if you think that he would be able to do complete justice to the position. Being a part of the corporate world often requires you to take risks; sometimes these risks might not pay off, but remember often they do.
- Tell me a joke that wouldn’t offend anyone?
This breaks the ice, shows the ability to think on their feet and if they can enjoy working together. Whatever joke is told, it almost always leads to a story.
- Tell me about your managerial style?
I just let them go on as long as they can. A good interviewee will have a 60-second commercial that clearly demonstrates why they are the best person for the job.
- What is your greatest weakness as General Manager?
An impressive and confident response shows that the candidate has prepared for the question, has done serious self-reflection and can admit responsibility and accept constructive criticism. Sincerely give an honest answer (but don’t say too much), be confident in the fact that this weakness does not make you any less of a great candidate, and show that you are working on this weakness and tell me how