I think that question survives because most interviewers are too lazy to come up with original insightful questions. Leading a good interview is hard and most employees treat it as a chore instead of a skill.
I heard that question for the first time during an interview recently and the entire conversation felt hostile. It felt like the interviewer was doing everything possible to find fault with me, and had very little interest in discovering my strengths (there was a lot more to it than just that one question). It was enough to make me think I should work somewhere else, despite loving everything else about the company.
This. Too many interviewers treat the interview as a hostile test rather than a conversation. They often sound annoyed that they even have to give an interview. Even when I have enough connections to avoid the regular interview gauntlet I always choose to participate as it tells me a lot about the company culture. A series of bad interviewers asking dumb or lazy questions is enough to make me want to work elsewhere.
I heard that question for the first time during an interview recently and the entire conversation felt hostile. It felt like the interviewer was doing everything possible to find fault with me, and had very little interest in discovering my strengths (there was a lot more to it than just that one question). It was enough to make me think I should work somewhere else, despite loving everything else about the company.