I find that this whole Github portfolio thing is getting blown out of proportions. A Github profile is a useful extra, but shouldn't be the only indicator of programming capability.

Neither should education and previous experience.

When hiring, people should talk to each other about something they've done (be it public code or private code). That should give a first impression.

Then you either hire or not on that first impression, and use the following 6 months re-evaluating your first impression. That's what it's there for.

If either side is not fully content, then's the time to decide to keep or fire.