Skills
Mediator Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in mediators, and how to build and show them.
What skills do mediators need?
Mediators need technical skills such as facilitation, negotiation, and conflict analysis, plus people skills like neutrality and patience. They also use tools such as Video conferencing and Case management software.
Technical (hard) skills
- Facilitation
- Negotiation
- Conflict analysis
- Agreement drafting
- Legal knowledge
- Active listening
People (soft) skills
- Neutrality
- Patience
- Empathy
- Calmness
Tools, equipment and technology
- Video conferencing
- Case management software
- Agreement templates
- Whiteboards
- Scheduling tools
- Legal research tools
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how mediators put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Facilitation” and “Negotiation.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “neutrality,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Basic mediation training (40 hours) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our mediator glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Mediator training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.