Clarify skills and terms directly with the person
When a requirement stays open in the direct comparison, you ask the person through Aptora: with a skill inquiry they answer when it suits them, or in a live interview where you go through the comparison together and negotiate an hourly rate or annual salary. The answers then appear in the comparison, agreed terms on the shortlist.
Clarifying open points
- Starting point
Go is missing, the hourly rate is open
In the direct comparison, Go is a must-have without a matching passage, and the profile states no hourly rate.
- Action
An inquiry from the comparison
You pick the open skills and ask about years of experience, last use, level or context. If you'd rather talk, you invite the person to a live interview.
- Result
Answers in the comparison
The person answers from their inbox: confirmed, not confirmed or can't say, each with details. The comparison shows it as a personal answer.
- Next step
Record the terms
In the live interview you exchange offers and counteroffers on hourly rate or annual salary, hours per week and start date. Whatever both accept appears as agreed terms on the shortlist.
Your skill inquiry
Go · years of experience, last use, context
The person's answer
Experience confirmed · 3 years · last used 2025 · Kubernetes operators and internal command-line tools
In the comparison
- Go · personal answer, experience confirmed
- Hourly rate still open: clarify in a live interview or a contact request
Requirement: Skill inquiries, live interviews and contact requests are part of talent search in the Team Pro plan. Plans and pricing
Questions about the skill, not the person
A skill inquiry asks about years of experience, last use, level and context of a skill. Several questions about one job reach the person as one inquiry; an open inquiry is extended rather than duplicated.
The person decides
They answer when they want to, or decline. Anyone who has opted out of contact receives no inquiry. Unanswered inquiries expire after 30 days.
A live interview around a shared comparison
In a live interview you both see the same comparison, ask questions directly and both receive a summary at the end. For freelance jobs you negotiate the hourly rate, for permanent roles the annual salary.
Hourly rate via a contact request
If all you need is the hourly rate and availability, ask for both in a contact request: in the app or through your assistant with send_outreach. Have it show you the subject and text before it sends. The person replies once with a message and the requested details, or declines.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send skill inquiries through my AI assistant?
No. You start skill inquiries and live interviews in the app from the direct comparison. Over MCP, your assistant can send a contact request that asks for hourly rate and availability.
Do I get the person's email address?
No. Aptora delivers inquiries and answers through the inbox. How you work together afterwards is up to you.
Can I ask about an annual salary?
Yes, in a live interview for a permanent role. There you exchange offers and counteroffers on annual salary, hours per week, start date and vacation days.