The JumpShip Number
TL;DR
Your jumpship number is the answer to the question:"What would it take to get you to come work for us?"
What does the jumpship number mean?
A candidate's jumpship number is their magic number for...jumping ship. It's basically the starting point for a candidate.
For example, if a candidate lists $85,000 as their jumpship number, assume that that's the minimum number its going to take to hire them.
Is the jumpship number their starting salary?
Not necessarily.
The candidate might be open to a combination of salary and stock, or salary and additional time off. In the end, the salary number you settle on might be less than the listed jumpship number, but it’s safe to assume that’s what the person is looking for.
Will the candidate accept less than their jumpship number?
Maybe, but assume not.
Unless you're offering an equivalent amount of stock or time off, it's generally considered to be acting in bad faith if you reach out to candidates and offer less than their jumpship number.
What happens after I approve a connection request?
After you approve a connection request, your email address is made visible to the company who made the request. What happens next is up to you.
The company will likely reach out to you over email where you can continue the conversation and potentially set up a technical review or interview.
What does "jump ship" mean?
For non-native English speakers, or anyone else unfamiliar with the term, the concept is simple. Straight from the internet's encyclopedia, Urban Dictionary, to "jump ship" means to:
"Leave an organization, group, company/institution, movement, proposal, or idea."
For our purposes, to jump ship means to leave your current job for one that pays more or has better benefits.