I am interested in seeing what you all think when ever you hear or see a job application that is like this. Basically, its a job that says its entry level, but it lists requirements that would easily make it not entry level. Such things include being a job for a cashier saying its entry level, but requires 3 years of prior experience. Or a job that says it requires no prior training, but then wants experience.
I recently had a discussion about this with someone who claimed to be from the hiring department of a company. They actually employed this tactic quite often where they would post pretty extreme requirements for what they would say was an entry level job. They claimed that the mindset was that it would say it was an entry level job, and it would be, but that it would then list something like needing years of experience in that field. They said it acted like a filter and that anyone who didn't bother to apply, they didn't want anyway. They said that they looked for candidates who would see the requirements and ignore them, and typically write up a cover letter of "here is why you should hire me despite my lack of credentials".
Now, I have heard that most actually think in the opposite manner, myself included. Most people see it and laugh at it. Its become a literal joke at this point and most appear to chalk it up to inexperienced or stupid hiring personnel. Some have even given examples such has wanting years of experience on a program that hasn't been out for years. Others just chalk it up to a generic listing that some spam bot posted and that it doesn't mean anything more then a careless HR who are really clueless.
Given these two different view points, I am curious. What are your stances on this? Do you see any merit to what the guy I talked with said? That it acts as a filter? Or do you see it as a joke or just down right clueless hiring personnel?