"Tell me about a time an engineer on your team wanted to leave the team. What was going on, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome? If relevant, you can use an example involving an internal transfer to another Meta team, such as moving from an Instagram infrastructure team to a Reels or Ads team."
This question tests whether you can balance empathy for an individual with accountability for team health and delivery. For an Engineering Manager, the interviewer wants to see whether you diagnose root causes well, create psychological safety for honest conversation, and avoid treating retention as the only success metric. They are also looking for judgment: when to coach and re-scope, when to advocate for growth elsewhere, and how to protect the rest of the team during ambiguity.
A strong answer uses a specific case, explains the engineer's motivations rather than labeling them as disengaged, and shows concrete actions across people, delivery, and stakeholder communication. The best responses are structured in STAR, include measurable outcomes, and end with what you learned about managing retention, mobility, and trust.