I saw a job posting on Indeed for Michael's art store (AM Stocker 18.50/hr), so I applied. A few days go by, and I swing by the store just to introduce myself. Aside from staff, there was only one person in the store, and I heard them ask if they were hiring. They tell him that they are fully staffed but always taking applications online.
This made me annoyed but gave me an idea for an expirement.
I went to 5 different shopping centers in the Colorado Springs area, 47 businesses open, 40 have now hiring signs, of those 40 only 4 actually had positions open for hiring when I asked the managers on duty.
I get you want to have backups lined up so if people quit, but make that clear instead of tricking people to apply online for a job that doesn't actually exist.