3 reasons why asking “tell me about yourself?” is bad interviewing practice:
1. Broad and unfocused: As an interviewer, you’re racing against the clock to collect the information that will enable you to decide if the candidate fits the position. “Tell me about yourself” can take the interview anywhere, including places that aren’t necessarily related to the job’s relevant skills.
2. Candidate experience: ”Tell me about yourself” is a stressful question for many candidates. “What does the interviewer want to hear? about my experience? hobbies? relevant skills? etc.?” A vague, open-ended question like this needlessly adds stress to the interview process.
3. Interviewer bias: This is a great place for bias to creep in. Candidates that have done their homework about the interviewer can impress them with irrelevant facts like "we went to the same school" that automatically generate biases like "similar to me" bias.