How to hire general and operations managers

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
• Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
• Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
• Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
• Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
• Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
• Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
• Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree]
• Strong active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking, critical thinking and active learning skills
• Working knowledge of administration and management, customer and personal service, English Language and production and processing
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $50.85 an hour ($105,770 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for general and operations managers

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
7. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What general and operations managers do

• Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
• Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
• Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
• Establish or implement departmental policies, goals, objectives, or procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, or staff members.
• Perform personnel functions, such as selection, training, or evaluation.
• Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
• Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
• Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningMonitoringReading ComprehensionSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive LearningAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageProduction and Processing

Education, experience and outlook for general and operations managers

• Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
• Experience usually needed to start: 5 years or more (BLS)
• Job outlook: +5% over ten years, faster than average · about 285,000 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay general and operations managers

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See general and operations managers pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Chief Executives

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.