Here are the most boggling interview questions job candidates have ever come across

Curveball questions are the new norm.

Straightforward, no-frills job interviews are now a thing of the past, with employers increasingly fielding brainteasers to gauge potential candidates’ capacity to perform under pressure and think on their feet.

A recent survey by JobStreet revealed five of the most boggling interview questions job candidates have ever come across.

For instance, a candidate for a Procurement Executive position in a Finance was asked: “Assuming that there were 3 birds perched on a line linking 2 lamp posts, if 1 was shot, how many birds are there left?”

Meanwhile, the question ““The US has manholes which are round in shape but in Singapore it is usually square. Which do you think is a better shape & why?” was given to a respondent applying for a Manager of Community Projects position in a Social Service Firm.

A candidate applying to be an IT Engineer in a Technology Firm was given this curveball: “If you have an urgent request from the company to fulfil a job function within 4 hrs, and you are in the middle of celebrating your dad’s birthday at the moment. What will you do?”

A respondent hoping to be an Institutional Dealer in a Securities Firm was given this question: “Do you think a doctor can trade stocks better than you and why?”

Lastly, the question “Have you ever stolen a pen from work?” was given to an aspiring manager at a healthcare firm.