Having conducted technical interviews after managers have screened the candidates' resumes, I second this. Businesses absolutely look at example works, precisely because it's what they care about: it doesn't take a leap of the imagination that if someone has churned out excellent work for hire, that they can do it again once hired on.
It's a bit harder for prospective employers to take someone at their word without works that they can point to, or can succinctly describe said works in sufficient detail.