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General manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Mandy Ulicney,

Amanda Gargano

Some of the most important hard skills a general manager can possess include supervising payroll, enforcing company policies, and inventory control. It's important that general managers have these skills because they are required in just about every industry. They may also need the hard skills of ensuring food safety if working in the food service industry.

When it comes to soft skills, general managers should have great customer service skills, as well as a commitment to meeting sales goals. General managers frequently need to interact with customers or guests, so these skills are crucial.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical general manager skills. We ranked the top skills for general managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.3% of general manager resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a general manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 general manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how general managers use customer service:

Managed catering events personally to ensure excellent customer service to establish a catering revenue stream and increase off-season sales.
Worked closely with Central Michigan University staff and students to establish a reputation of strong customer service and satisfaction.

2. Cleanliness

Here's how general managers use cleanliness:

Maintained facility operations including daily operations, cleanliness, hiring/training, inventory management, and client relations.
Monitored daily operations of facilities to maintain high level of customer service, cleanliness and equipment maintenance.

3. Food Safety

Here's how general managers use food safety:

Ensured food safety procedures are executed according to company policy and health/sanitation regulations and take necessary corrective actions.
Mentored the team-and ensured a positive dining experience for customers-by monitoring and reinforcing food safety procedures.

4. Guest Service

Here's how general managers use guest service:

Outperformed competing properties by leveraging Four- and Five-Star/Diamond rating guidelines to establish brand standards and initiatives for guest service excellence.
Supervised daily store operations to ensure profitability through guest services, store presentation, time management and maintaining /controlling inventory.

5. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how general managers use payroll:

Supervised all operational activities including payroll, ordering, shipping and receiving and benefits procedures.
Review operational reports and records, monitor store profitability and manage payroll budgets.

6. Math

Here's how general managers use math:

Train the instructors on the curriculum and how to teach Math, Science, Technology, and Engineering through robotics.
Provided the model shop with support that included drawings, screen plots, math data files, and verbal direction.

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7. Ladders

Here's how general managers use ladders:

Worked with pallet jacks, ladders, L-Carts, Rocket Carts, and a Compactor Machine.
Set up, arranged and removed decorations, tables, chairs, ladders and scaffolding to prepare facilities for large events.

8. Inventory Control

Here's how general managers use inventory control:

Implemented inventory control procedures maintaining operational accuracy.
Facilitated inventory control and quality assurance

9. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how general managers use customer satisfaction:

Recognized by regional leadership for successfully implementing projects, achieving multiple monthly top sales awards and exceeding customer satisfaction targets.
Provided customer service by greeting customers and discovering their needs, answering telephones, resolving conflicts and ensuring customer satisfaction.

10. POS

POS is an abbreviation of "Point of Sale" which is the time and place where a customer completes a transaction. It can either be a physical shop that consists of POS terminals or a virtual shop. A POS system helps simplify the retail functions and track important sales data.

Here's how general managers use pos:

Purchased inventory, implemented POS hardware/software, managed all financial and business areas, and developed new marketing strategies.
Spearheaded implementation of POS system to improve accuracy, efficiency and speed of restaurant operations.

11. Inventory Management

Here's how general managers use inventory management:

Championed/introduced ADP/Hollander computerized business and inventory management system.
Generated reports and analyses that were instrumental in SKU consolidation, inventory management and other measures that improved efficiency and accuracy.

12. Guest Satisfaction

Here's how general managers use guest satisfaction:

Directed hotel operations, building a culture of excellence centered on maximizing guest satisfaction and providing superior quality of service.
Direct upgrade and revitalization of property; significantly increase dining, conference/event ROR, room occupancy and guest satisfaction.

13. Customer Relations

Here's how general managers use customer relations:

Implemented email, postcard and social networking customer retention software in an effort to maintain superior customer relationships and return business.
Developed and managed customer relations to maximize service satisfaction, promote goodwill and generate repeat/referral business that contributes to sales growth.

14. Cash Control

Here's how general managers use cash control:

Assisted in profit and loss management by following cash control/security procedures, maintained inventory, managing labor and reviewing financial reports.
Assumed full responsibility for restaurant profit and loss management by implementing marketing strategies and following cash control/security procedures.

15. Cost Control

Cost control is a process in which actual costs are recorded and incorporated into a format that allows comparison with project budgets to regulate and control operating costs within an organization. The goal of cost control is to manage project delivery within the approved budget and reduce expenses to increase profits.

Here's how general managers use cost control:

Analyzed financial and operational deficiencies and implemented strategic initiatives to improve quality of service and cost controls throughout all departments.
Received Certificate of Corporate Management while maintaining proper cost control and improving profits and operating standards 10% overall.

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What skills help General Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on general manager resumes?

Mandy Ulicney

Associate Lecturer, Kent State University

In the hospitality industry people look for the intangibles. Everyone works, so that's great, but what else do they do? Do they volunteer? Do they coach a sport? Are they part of a community committee? Those types of things show the employer that they are service-minded, which goes a long way in our industry. Also, being bi-lingual is a big asset to many hospitality employers.

What soft skills should all general managers possess?

Amanda Gargano

Professor, Cypress College, School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management

Soft skills are so important and desirable in all sectors, especially in Hospitality. We strive to teach our students the importance of accountability, personal responsibility, interpersonal relationships, and effective communication. We stress the importance of arriving early, behaving respectfully, working efficiently, and carrying themselves professionally.

What hard/technical skills are most important for general managers?

Amanda Gargano

Professor, Cypress College, School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management

Required technical skills can sometimes be unique to the individual hotel or foodservice establishment. At Cypress College, our students learn basic and advanced technical skills required of their specific major: Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry Arts, Hospitality Management, or Food & Beverage Management. Attainment of these hard skills, coupled with soft skills embedded within each program, help ensure that our students will emerge as leaders in the Hospitality industry.

What general manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Evelyn Green Ph.D.

Director, Hospitality & Tourism Workforce Innovation Alliance, Asst. Professor, Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management, University of South Alabama

-Brush up on your virtual communication skills, which include getting comfortable speaking to a camera with good eye contact, and observing and editing your body language for a virtual job interview or meeting.
-Learn a foreign language. Pick up a language based on your industry's external (i.e. guests) and internal customers (i.e. staff). For example, if Chinese outbound tourism is on the rise, and the Chinese are your local Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) primary target market, Chinese would be a great foreign language for you to pick up. If a large percentage of your frontline staff are Hispanic, learning Spanish will help you better communicate and build relationships with them.
-Pursue a graduate degree. Go for your master's, e.g. MBA for hospitality majors to broaden their job market. Although this recommendation seems to contradict the trending demand for technical skills, we still live in a world where academic credentials are valued and contribute to management position considerations, particularly with publicly traded corporations where it is important for them to win the confidence of their stockholders. Additionally, for those interested in working overseas, an advanced degree will help in the work permit application approval process. With the availability of online master's degree programs, offered at an affordable rate ( around $13k) and to be completed within 10 months on a full-time basis, this is a good time to get your competencies "tool bag" equipped and ready when needed. Stackable certifications are also good investments toward your professional development.

What type of skills will young general managers need?

Patrick Scott Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Economics, Louisiana Tech University

I think the importance of critical thinking and reasoning skills cannot be overstated enough. In this area, economics shines. Additionally, analytical and quantitative skills are more important than ever. Businesses continue to make the shift towards data-driven decision making. The ability to quickly analyze data and correctly assign an interpretation or meaning to that data is an important job market skill. With just a little bit of economic intuition, combined data science skills, business economics majors are uniquely positioned for success in the job market of tomorrow.

What technical skills for a general manager stand out to employers?

Kerem Cakirer Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer, Indiana University Bloomington

The labor market is not so different than any market with demand and supply. The demand from employers will shift towards more technical (software, coding, computer language programming) and analytical (problem solving on your own) skills than social skills overall. Being capable of writing or/and understanding computer languages will be a must have skill in the very near future. Communication skills over online platforms or social media platforms will play a huge role when employers are making a hiring decision. The data supports that businesses are using more online platforms than ever. I am projecting that there won't be any business travels or on-site client meetings in the near future. Exceling in different types of software, and being able to learn a new one easily, will become more important than people skills in businesses. Employers will seek for candidates, who are capable of achieving tasks in a more off-site (outside the office) environment through a deadline, and who can utilize multiple different softwares at their hand to solve business problems. As far as how the hiring process would go, we might see employers using artificial intelligence to make hiring decisions over some online platform soon. Essentially, this means that the candidates will be assessed with a more quantitative measure than ever. An evaluation measure by the AI, which will take soft and digital skills more into account.My final words are: The pandemic is still a burden to the humankind but the world will prevail. This year could be the inception of a new era in terms of how businesses run.

Do you want to know more?

List of general manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a general manager resume and required skills for a general manager to have include:

Customer Service
Cleanliness
Food Safety
Guest Service
Payroll
Math
Ladders
Inventory Control
Customer Satisfaction
POS
Inventory Management
Guest Satisfaction
Customer Relations
Cash Control
Cost Control
Store Operations
Cash Handling

Restaurant Operations
Product Quality
Food Quality
Financial Statements
Human Resources
Punctuality
Financial Performance
Bank Deposits
Labor Costs
Loss Prevention
Performance Reviews
Dollies
Business Plan
Sales Growth
Direct Reports
Food Preparation
Customer Complaints

Exceptional Guest
Financial Reports
Front Desk
Excellent Guest
Retail Store
Business Development
Customer Issues
Business Operations
Gross Profit
Loss Statements
Performance Evaluations
Food Cost
Sales Volume
Perform Routine Maintenance
Quality Guest
Staff Development

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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