Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a popular choice among career changers seeking meaningful and rewarding work. If you’re one of those thinking about making the leap, you owe it to yourself to scope out the landscape first.
So what can ADR professionals expect in the coming months? What trends and opportunities will define the year ahead?
To find out, we spoke to Pramila Javaheri, the executive director of the ADR Institute of Ontario (ADRIO). Keep reading to get expert insight on what’s shaping the field today and what’s on the horizon.
Q. What do you see on the ADR landscape for the coming year?
Pramila: We have a lot of people who are coming into dispute resolution for what I call the second and third act of their career. They may have done one career and decided it’s time to change, or they’ve retired from a first or even second career and now they want to explore dispute resolution.
I host virtual executive director drop-ins every couple of weeks and people ask me questions about the career landscape, about membership, about training, about designation pathways. I share with them that we do have a lot of people coming in for their second or third acts, and that different people are looking at different spaces to practise in based on their area of interest. New practitioners are strongly encouraged to review the list of accredited courses from approved providers, which includes Kompass.
My experience is that there is a lot of interest from people exploring a career in dispute resolution. Just this week alone I have had three follow-ups from my executive director drop-in with specific questions on next steps for training and membership opportunities.
Q. What career opportunities do ADR professionals have?
Pramila: There are four career paths that people can take in dispute resolution. Some people work full time for an employer and have a part-time practice. They might work part time for an employer and have a part-time practice. They might be 100% an entrepreneur. Or they might work 100% for someone else.
One of the membership benefits for ADRIO members is that we send out about four job postings every time we send out an email blast, and we send out two a week. We started this about two years ago so that our members can have a pulse on where the employment opportunities are and who was hiring.
There are full-time practitioners with the different government divisions or private organizations. There’s also human resources professionals that work full time for an employer but have a strong skillset in dispute resolution that complements their work in HR.
For many years, I worked full time in dispute resolution and community development and provided dispute resolution services part time. I often was hired in key roles due to my experience and education in dispute resolution.
Q. Are there certain sectors or industries where ADR is especially in demand?
Pramila: I will hear from time to time of a government agency that is growing a department, then they will be looking for practitioners. Within the municipal, provincial, and federal governments, they’ll have teams of people to facilitate dispute resolution work. So for example, there may be an ombudsman office that will have practitioners. Regulators also have a team of practitioners.
The research that ADRIO commissioned Humber College to conduct revealed that the sectors that are on the rise are workplace restoration and restorative services.
Q. There have been some high-profile labour disputes over the last few months, such as Canada Post. How would someone get to be on the list for that?
Pramila: It’s important to research the different rosters and lists that exist to determine who has those lists and what the process is to get onto each list. Be consistent in your networking so you can learn about these opportunities.
Once you find these openings, you can go through the process to apply. If you apply one or two times to an opportunity, and you don’t get onto the list, keep applying. You will gain skills on how to prepare for each application process that will be useful when you apply for other rosters and lists.
The other thing about those big labour disputes is there’s risk involved in the sense that they’re huge, they’re in the media. So they’re looking for people who are experienced at that level as well, who can do the job well but also handle anything else that comes with it.
Q. Does ADRIO have any new training programs or initiatives?
Pramila: We tend to be the go-to hub for people. We pride ourselves on ensuring that we are giving people the information so they have a pulse on what’s happening.
One way we do that is with the two email blasts going out every week. They include training opportunities, member benefits, and blog posts. They also include those four opportunities so people get a sense of what’s out there.
We also have those executive director drop-ins, where people get to ask in real time for the support they’re looking for.
There’s a new mentorship program, Pathways to Education (P2E), that we piloted in 2024 and launched in 2025. Members get paired with a mentor and talk about their goals. They also get an opportunity to shadow two mediations, so they get to watch and dialogue about what they saw and discuss any questions they might have.
Q. Are there any trends you see coming up that are going to shape demand for mediation or arbitration professionals?
Pramila: I think we should keep an eye on the Ontario mandatory mediation roster. There’s been talk about them expanding the jurisdictions from Toronto, Ottawa, and Windsor to different jurisdictions within Ontario. So that would mean more cases would be eligible to go to a mandatory mediation session.
I always say conflict is inevitable. Where you have people, you’re going to have disagreements. What’s important for people who are training and want to develop a career in this area is their business development strategy. You need to research your next steps to inform your strategy and activities to follow. You have to set your goals and prioritize them.
You also want to be networking so that when people are hiring, they’re thinking, you know, I met that person, I had an interest interview with them, let’s call them back. I do believe those old-school principles are still alive and strong.
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