The summer months can often prove a difficult time for businesses as they struggle to cope with staff shortages over the holiday period.

So, while this can be addressed by filling gaps with temporary staffing support, it also proves an ideal period for companies to take stock and evaluate the direction their business is going in.

The season often highlights skill gaps within businesses, prompting employers to look long and hard not just at recruitment but also at the training and development plans they have in place.

With key personnel absent from the business, a deficit in transferable skills and sometimes in succession planning becomes evident as roles are covered by inexperienced colleagues who may not have had adequate training. Lack of shared knowledge proves problematic for employers as the overall quality of work may diminish and also the individual employee might feel overwhelmed.

Therefore, the summer months prove to be the ideal time for businesses to really evaluate and revisit the training schemes or courses they have in place to support the development of their employees, and therefore the continuation of development of the business as a whole.

This should cover all levels of staff from junior team members and most certainly in the case of management and senior positions, who are often ignored in terms of continuing professional development. Succession planning can really benefit those higher up in the company being groomed to lead and develop in the future and to cover long-term absences.

A simple starting point for employers is to consider what you, or your workforce, do as part of your day-to-day role and whether there are any elements or working processes that you feel could be improved on.

For those keen to progress up the career ladder, line managers should consider what training their team might need to enable them to do their job if they are away. It might be something tangible, such as managing accounts, or something harder to pinpoint, such as managing and advising junior colleagues. Whatever it may be, once you have identified any skills gaps, set about finding ways to address and fill them.

If you think additional learning will benefit your employees and help them progress in their career, suggest it to them - importantly, they are very likely to feel hugely valued by your investment and interest in their future.

One of the most valuable development tools is work-based learning and this is something that can be utilised for your employees at every single stage of their career. There are lots of options available, whether it be engaging in an internal learning programme, with senior staff training junior employees, or working with reputable training providers and education establishments to create bespoke training solutions for your business.

So, while summer staff shortages may be tricky to navigate, they can also be an ideal opportunity to identify existing and potential weaknesses in your business, thus enabling you to tackle them head on, strengthening your organisation, both for now and for the future.