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What does a General Supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a General Supervisor do

A general supervisor supervises and oversees the daily performance of workers. They are expected to set goals and deadlines for their company. They may also have to organize employees' workflow and ensure that they understand their duties. They also monitor the productivity of employees and give constructive feedback.

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General supervisor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general supervisor resumes:

  • Lead in the development of an organize inventory POS system.
  • Maintain A/R and A/P, sales reps commissions, and manage the collection process.
  • Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.
  • Co-Authore and continually improve the POS system.
  • Complete a QC sheet on all VOIP and CATV technicians indicating a pass or fail status.
  • Need to qualify for ISO with a facility that have no manufacturing or quality processes in place.
  • Certify management representative responsible for ensuring adherence to ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and other IMS relevant standards.
  • Interface effectively with OSHA and other regulatory agencies.
  • Prepare and maintain the monthly histology/cytology QC records for the laboratory director
  • Provide administration oversight and provide budget, vehicle /equipment replacement cost and criteria.
  • Communicate effectively with safety manager to properly implement safety awareness and OSHA compliance.
  • Coordinate all logistics and delivery of complete machined projects and/or electric motor repairs.
  • Provide administration oversight and develop budget and establish shop labor rates for the organization.
  • Coordinate activities with global design team and logistics consulting representatives to produce training materials.
  • Establish KPI's by implementing standards and accountability within the facility in order to improve the overall operating efficiency and profitability.

General supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of General Supervisors are proficient in Continuous Improvement, Production Supervisors, and Oversight. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Management skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of General Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Continuous Improvement, 13%

    Lead Synchronous manufacturing, lean, and continuous improvement efforts resulting in significant cost savings and improvements in manufacturing performance metrics.

  • Production Supervisors, 9%

    General supervisor responsible for manufacturing and quality of engine mounts leading four quality engineers and three production supervisors.

  • Oversight, 7%

    Program oversight for M&TE, Leak Management, JIT PM Review, and Dept.

  • Corrective Action, 7%

    Acknowledge quality issues and implement corrective action where appropriate Manage workload for two laboratory locations and facilitate coverage

  • Safety Procedures, 7%

    Introduced, coordinated and monitored safety procedures as per Federal and State regulations and hospital guidelines.

  • OSHA, 6%

    Communicated effectively with safety manager to properly implement safety awareness and OSHA compliance.

Common skills that a general supervisor uses to do their job include "continuous improvement," "production supervisors," and "oversight." You can find details on the most important general supervisor responsibilities below.

Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a general supervisor to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." General supervisors often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided leadership to stakeholders to utilize pareto analysis to drive continuous improvement in the area. "

Problem-solving skills. general supervisors are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to general supervisor responsibilities, because "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." A general supervisor resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "monitored general ledger account maintenance and system integrity reports including issue resolution. "

Time-management skills. A big part of what general supervisors do relies on "time-management skills." You can see how essential it is to general supervisor responsibilities because "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical general supervisor tasks: "key player on 4-member framing team responsible for delivering nine consecutive projects under deadline and in compliance with strict quality standards. "

Communication skills. Another common skill required for general supervisor responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of general supervisors all the time, as "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." An excerpt from a real general supervisor resume shows how this skill is central to what a general supervisor does: "maintained proper communication with leads and supervisors to coordinate activities of individual departments relative to production, maintenance and construction projects. "

All general supervisor skills

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Compare different general supervisors

General supervisor vs. District manager

District managers oversee the operations of a group of stores or areas covered by the assigned district. They are responsible for ensuring that the sales, marketing, quality control, and people management of their community align with the company's direction. They review the district's financial statement, draft ways to improve the district's key metrics, and mitigate any challenges that may come their way. They are also responsible for hiring store or area managers and training them to ensure that they will be significant contributors to the organization.

The annual salary of district managers is $18,259 higher than the average salary of general supervisors.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between general supervisors and district managers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like direct reports, payroll, and inventory control.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between general supervisors and district manager. For instance, general supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "continuous improvement," "production supervisors," "oversight," and "corrective action." Whereas a district manager is skilled in "customer service," "multi-unit," "customer satisfaction," and "financial performance." This is part of what separates the two careers.

District managers really shine in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $119,906. Comparatively, general supervisors tend to make the most money in the finance industry with an average salary of $105,521.On average, district managers reach similar levels of education than general supervisors. District managers are 4.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

General supervisor vs. Assistant store manager

Assistant store managers are considered second-in-command to store managers. They help oversee operations and take over when the manager is unavailable. Assistant store managers may be assigned to focus on certain aspects of store operations such as marketing, finance, human resources, or quality control. They should be familiar with running the store and with all the other tasks needed to be done. Assistant store managers should have decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and business acumen. They should also be able to do the work usually done on the operations floor in case of a lack of manpower.

On average, assistant store managers earn a $37,891 lower salary than general supervisors a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both general supervisors and assistant store managers have skills such as "direct reports," "payroll," and "inventory control. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that general supervisor responsibilities requires skills like "continuous improvement," "production supervisors," "oversight," and "corrective action." But an assistant store manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "store management," "loss prevention," "sales floor," and "customer inquiries."

On average, assistant store managers earn a lower salary than general supervisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant store managers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $39,366. Whereas general supervisors have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $105,521.assistant store managers earn lower levels of education than general supervisors in general. They're 8.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General supervisor vs. Manager

Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.

On average scale, managers bring in lower salaries than general supervisors. In fact, they earn a $19,999 lower salary per year.By looking over several general supervisors and managers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "direct reports," "product quality," and "payroll." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from general supervisor resumes include skills like "continuous improvement," "production supervisors," "oversight," and "corrective action," whereas a manager is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "food safety," "financial statements," and "management. "

Managers earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $71,781. General supervisors earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $105,521.managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to general supervisors. Specifically, they're 4.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General supervisor vs. Store manager

A store manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations, making sure of its smooth and efficient performance with the best services provided to the customers. Store managers' duty also includes tracking the budget of the store to ensure that all expenses are meeting the sales goals. A store manager must also be able to plan and share strategies to boost sales performance and provide the needed support for the employees by communicating with them regularly, listening on suggestions, and taking necessary actions for complaints as required.

Store managers typically earn lower pay than general supervisors. On average, store managers earn a $31,700 lower salary per year.According to resumes from general supervisors and store managers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "corrective action," "direct reports," and "inventory control. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "continuous improvement," "production supervisors," "oversight," and "safety procedures" are skills that commonly show up on general supervisor resumes. On the other hand, store managers use skills like store management, retail store, customer service, and pet on their resumes.store managers enjoy the best pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $41,968. For comparison, general supervisors earn the highest salary in the finance industry.store managers reach lower levels of education compared to general supervisors, in general. The difference is that they're 7.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of general supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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