I've been interviewing/hiring a lot lately ( www.fancyhands.com/jobs ). One thing I've noticed is that a lot of candidates don't have code samples ready. After looking at a good resume, I tend to ask for code samples and to set up an interview in person. More often than not, people don't have any code samples they can share. No github, etc.
I'm not looking for "work" code or even a full application. Just something above a hello world that the candidate wrote.
Personally, I'd rather see a few code samples than a resume. You can talk me through your work history, but you can't just talk about code. I'm not going to hire someone on a code sample alone, but I think it really moves the conversation forward.
So, the question: Am I being harsh in thinking it's a BIG red flag if a candidate has no code samples? How do you approach a candidate with a solid resume but zero code samples?