One Of The Questions I Ask When Interviewing Candidates

Some job seekers cringe at the question "Tell me about yourself" during interviews.

They believe it shows poor preparation on the hiring manager's part & it's disrespectful of their time.

Well, I favor that question & ask it every time.

Why?

1. I start my interviews by first introducing myself, the company & the role. It feels natural to give them the space to do the same. Reciprocity
2. Candidates are nervous at the start of a technical interview. This question is virtually a freebie to get some momentum going
3. How people answer the question tells me a lot about them: communication skills, body language, preparedness & general attitude
4. It allows them to proactively talk through gaps in their resume & highlight key skills or experiences with more vigor

No, this doesn't necessarily mean that the interviewer hasn't read their resume. In my case, I shortlist candidates based on what the resume holds.

But what does show poor prep is if the interviewer constantly:

• Fumbles the candidate's name
• Takes frequent pauses to read the resume to pitch their next question
• Asks questions which the resume clearly addresses