When people decide to work at Specsavers, they’re joining a company with a purpose to change lives through better sight and hearing – hence why more Australians and New Zealanders choose the optometry provider over any other.
As one of the largest employers in the ANZ optometry sector, Insight sits down with an employee each month to hear about their growth trajectory within the company.
Specsavers stats
Name: Rhian Evans
Current position: Dispensing advancement manager
Location: Sydney
Years within the business: 14
Why did you pursue an optical career?
My father is an optometrist, and I used to help in his practices during school holidays. I was particularly fascinated by the dispensing side of the business. It was amazing to watch the dispenser select the perfect pair of glasses, follow their journey through the lab, and finally see them ready for collection. One of the most rewarding parts was seeing patients so happy and excited after finding their ideal pair of glasses.
I knew I wanted to go to university, and the Optical Management Degree in the UK was the perfect fit for me. After graduating, I continued my education to become a qualified contact lens optician.
How did you come to work at Specsavers?
When I relocated from the UK to Australia, I was fortunate to secure a position as an optical dispenser at the Sydney CBD stores. From the very first week, I was amazed by the in-store culture. The training opportunities for optical assistants and the ongoing education for dispensers truly impressed me. The store was supported by a dedicated Retail Support Team. Observing the remarkable work they provided to partners and team members inspired me to advance to my next role at Specsavers Australia, where I became a regional training manager for NSW/ACT. I loved traveling to new places and meeting extraordinary people along the way.
What growth opportunities have presented themselves?
Transitioning from a regional to a national role – as dispensing advancement manager for ANZ – has undoubtedly offered even greater opportunities for growth, allowing me to collaborate with a wider range of stakeholders. My role is to enhance dispensing performance by prioritising training, development, and the implementation of effective processes and systems that empower dispensers and optical assistants in-store to deliver the highest quality outcomes tailored to the customers’ needs. I’ve embraced all the opportunities from enhancing my own technical optical dispensing knowledge or my personal development. A highlight was collaborating with Dr Alicia Thompson to deliver exceptional training for our dispensers on paediatric dispensing.
What are your top career highlights?
Within Specsavers, I was invited to join the Emerging Leaders program, a year-long internal development initiative. Through this program, I learned from external experts, our executive and senior leaders, and my peers, covering a broad range of focus areas including leadership, commerciality, business acumen, influencing, profile, and relationship building. As part of this program, I also completed a mini-MBA. This experience has strengthened my strategic thinking, which has proven highly valuable in my current role.
A recent highlight for me has been joining the advisory board of Optical Dispensers Australia (ODA). I’m thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded optical professionals from various optometry businesses across Australia.
What excites you about work each day?
It all goes back to what I noticed during my very first week at Specsavers, 14 years ago: the culture. While my role and environment may have changed, the culture and the sense of satisfaction from knowing that I’m making a difference have remained constant. I feel a true sense of purpose in changing lives through better sight.
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