General manager Review

General Manager of a public house. Monitoring stock levels, cash control and delivering consistent standards to brand expectation. Staff rot as and wages, recruitment and training of staff. Sales building. I have to communicate with guests, peers and superior staff on a daily basis via different methods email/phone etc.

Whilst completing my apprentiship I have moved from an assistant manager to a designate manger and into my current role as general manager. I have learnt lots of new skills along the way but have also developed existing skills to a higher level. The most beneficial has been my communication skills

I have enjoyed the programme however I have had a few issues with my initial assessor and had a desk based tutor for a number of months. While this was helpful as it meant I could continue making progress through my programme I don’t think I have gained as much from the programme as I could have done

Initially I found the programme to be quite disorganised due to the issues I had with my assessor such as cancelled visits or just not turning up. No real guidance was given or explanation of how the course worked. The desk based team and my new assessor however have been very structured in their approach to my learning

My employers are very supportive of the programme. I have always been able to plan my visits around my work schedule and they have been happy to support me through out my learning. I have been able to approach my peers and superiors for advice and help when I have needed

Initially very little but the desired based team and new assessor and tutor have been fantastic. They have provided lots of support during visits and have been helpful when doing my own learning in answering any questions I have had or pointing me in the right direction. They have also provided lots of material to support my learning

I think The professional discussions are really helpful to performing in my role. It has developed my communication skills a lot which is transferable into my job role and I find it much easier to articulate to and reason with people as a result. I also find that it has been helpful in improving my understanding of certain aspects of the business that you don’t always deal with on a daily basis

We have team building exercises during team meetings. We also have staff events. The company also run frequent competitions to win staff parties, cinema tickets and vouchers. There is a charity ball and awards ceremonies too. Last year my pub was fortunate enough to win tickets for a day out at Alton Towers along with 5 other pubs. This year there is a new golf day.

Yes

Greene King invest in the people that work for them. I feel valued as an employee. Hard work is always recognised and rewarded. It is hard work at times but is fun and there is an incentive to do well. I feel proud to tell people that I am employed by Greeneking.

Sell your self! The day job is easy and you can train people to do what is required for the role. You don’t need to be skilled to do it so if that’s holding you back don’t let it! You can’t teach people personality. Let that shine. Attitude will always outshine ability.