From the professional interview to the career path interview: the complete guide

The career path interview has replaced the old professional interview since Law No. 2025-989 of October 24, 2025 .

This law amended Article L. 6315-1 of the Labour Code and redefined the system, its periodicity and its effects.

In this guide, we explain everything about the job interview.

What is a career path interview?

The career path interview is a mandatory meeting between the employer (or their representative) and each employee.

Its purpose is to take stock of:

• the employee's career path ;
• the evolution of his skills and his position ;
• its prospects for development within the company or outside ;
• its training needs ;
• the use of his personal training account (CPF) and, where applicable, the Career Development Advisory Service (CEP).

It is governed by Article L. 6315-1 of the Labour Code, as amended by the law of 24 October 2025.

From the professional interview to the career path interview

Law No. 2025-989 of October 24, 2025 (resulting from national interprofessional agreements on the employment of experienced employees and professional transitions) replaced the professional interview with the professional career interview by amending Article L. 6315-1 of the Labour Code.

These new provisions have been applicable since October 26, 2025, except for companies covered by a collective agreement already containing provisions on professional interviews, for which a compliance period is provided until October 1, 2026.

Frequency: when to schedule the career path interview?

The default periodicity

In accordance with Article L. 6315-1 of the French Labour Code, the career path interview must be organised as follows:

A collective agreement at the company or industry level may set a different frequency, but never exceeding 4 years between two interviews.

Interviews following certain absences

The employer must also offer a career path interview upon the employee's return after certain absences, including:

• maternity or adoption leave ;
• parental leave for education ;
• career's leave ;
• sabbatical leave ;
• period of secure voluntary mobility ;
• long-term sick leave ;
• exercise of a trade union mandate.

This obligation applies if no career path interview has taken place in the 12 months preceding the return to work.

As for "senior" employees, they will benefit from two types of career path interviews:

• The first one must be organised within two months after the mid-career medical visit which is in principle held in the year of the employee's 45th birthday.

During this interview, the measures possibly proposed by the occupational health doctor will be discussed, the adaptation or adjustment of duties and workstation, the prevention of situations of occupational wear and tear, as well as the employee's training needs and any wishes for mobility or professional retraining.

• The second interview will take place within the two years preceding the employee's 60th birthday and must cover:
• the conditions for maintaining employment;
• end-of-career arrangements (part-time work, phased retirement, job adjustments, etc.).

Content and process of the career path interview

Topics to be covered (legal content)

The interview must cover the following points:

• Skills used in the current position and prospects for development (in view of changes in the profession, tools, and organization) ;
• Employee career path and internal or external job opportunities ;
• Related training needs :

• in the current position ,
• towards changes in employment ,
• or towards a personal professional project ;

• Career development or retraining goals (internal mobility, career change, professional transition project, skills assessment, validation of acquired experience – VAE);
• Use of the CPF and possibility of using the Career Development Advisory Service (CEP).

Practical organization

The interview is organized by the employer. It is conducted by a line manager or a representative from management/HR.

It takes place during working hours.

It concludes with the drafting of a written document, given to the employee (and preferably signed by both parties).

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Special case of companies with fewer than 300 employees

In companies with fewer than 300 employees, the employee can, in order to prepare for the interview, benefit from a Career Development Advisory Service (Conseil en Evolution Professionnelle - CEP); the employer can also use a local advisor or an external organization, depending on what a possible collective agreement provides.

The summary inventory at 8 years

Every 8 years, the career path interview takes the form of a summary review of the employee's career within the company.

This review allows us to verify that, over the last 8 years, the employee:

• Has benefited from the interviews provided for in Article L. 6315-1 of the Labour Code;
• And that he has at least:

• followed a training course ;
• acquired certification elements (through training or VAE);
• or benefited from a salary or professional advancement.

The inventory of fixtures results in a written document given to the employee.

Additional obligations for the employer

Employee information

The employer must inform each employee, upon hiring, that they will benefit from:

• a career path interview within one year of their arrival ;
• then every 4 years ;
• and a summary inventory every 8 years, in accordance with Article L. 6315-1 of the Labour Code.

This information may include:

• in the employment contract or letter of engagement ;
• in the welcome booklet ;
• in an HR information note.

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Monitoring, skills development plan and BDESE

The employer must monitor interviews and training activities, for example through:

• a monitoring table (date of interview, type of interview: periodic, return from absence, mid-career, 8-year review, follow-up actions, planned/completed training) ;
• integration into the skills development plan (scheduling of training courses identified during interviews) ;
• the inclusion, in the BDESE (Economic, Social and Environmental Database), of data relating to vocational training and interviews, for the information of the CSE.

Penalties for non-compliance

Companies with at least 50 employees: corrective top-up to the CPF

In companies with at least 50 employees, when, during the past 8 years, an employee:

• did not benefit from the career development interviews provided for in Article L. 6315-1 of the French Labour Code ,and
• has not benefited from at least one training other than that required by Article L. 6321-2 of the Labour Code  (obligation to adapt to the position),

then the employer must contribute to the employee's personal training account (CPF), under the conditions provided for in Article L. 6323-13 of the Labour Code .

The same article specifies that the workforce of 50 employees and the crossing of this threshold are assessed according to article L. 130-1 of the Social Security Code.

In practice, the implementing regulations provide for a fixed top-up to the CPF (the amount of which is set by regulation). If payment is not made after a formal notice, the employer may be required to pay the Treasury an amount greater than the unpaid sum (a mechanism similar to an administrative penalty).

Companies with fewer than 50 employees

There is currently no automatic corrective CPF funding mechanism provided for by law for companies with fewer than 50 employees.

On the other hand, in the event of a dispute (for example, during an employment tribunal proceeding following a dismissal), failure to comply with maintenance and training obligations (articles L. 6315-1 and L. 6321-1 et seq. of the Labour Code) may lead the employment tribunal to order the employer to pay damages.

The Role of Collective Bargaining

Article L. 6315-1, III of the French Labor Code allows a company collective agreement or, failing that, a sectoral collective agreement to:

• define a framework, objectives and collective criteria for employer contributions to the CPF ;
• provide for other methods of assessing career paths than the three legal criteria (training, certification, progression) for the 8-year review ;
• set a different frequency for career path interviews, with a maximum of 4 years between two interviews.

Existing collective agreements dealing with professional development interviews must therefore be renegotiated to comply with the new law by October 1, 2026 at the latest.

In summary

In practice, to comply with the professional development review requirements, the employer must:

• inform each employee, upon hiring, of the existence of this system ;
• arrange a first interview within the year following hiring ;
• schedule an interview every 4 years, respecting any periodicity stipulated by agreement ;
• to offer an interview upon return from certain leaves (maternity leave, parental leave, sabbatical leave, long-term illness, union mandate, etc.) if no interview has been held in the previous 12 months ;
• arrange a mid-career interview within two months of the corresponding medical examination ;
• specifically address job retention and end-of-career arrangements during the first interview taking place within the two years preceding age 60 ;
• carry out a summary inventory every 8 years ;
• keep a written record of each interview and maintain a tracking table ;
• to comply, where applicable, with the additional rules set by the company or industry collective agreement.

1. What is a career path interview?
2. From the professional interview to the career path interview
3. Frequency: when to schedule the career path interview?
4. Content and process of the career path interview
5. The summary inventory at 8 years
6. Additional obligations for the employer
7. Penalties for non-compliance
8. The Role of Collective Bargaining
9. In summary