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> It's much easier for an unscrupulous person to find a friend who's willing to inflate their achievements on the phone than to provide on-the-spot solutions to programming problems they lack the skill to solve themselves.

A good hiring manager will be able to sniff that out rather quickly. Following up on references doesn't mean calling it a day after one random phone call either.

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How do you sniff it out?

Obviously you give the reference a coding test

Ha! But in all fairness, multiple references, with references coming from verified previous employers. A quick phone call to the candidates prior employers to verify employment/listed reference will flush things out quickly. Also, most people are terrible liars when pressed ... even on the phone. It does require effort by the hiring manager though.

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