Specsavers has been named New Zealand’s second-best workplace for the second year in a row.
The ranking, in the large business category, is based on the 2026 NZ Great Place to Work survey. It is based on the confidential experiences and feedback of more than 814 support office and store team members across NZ – representing 75% of the Specsavers workforce – including 172 optometrists.
Specsavers said that of those surveyed, 84% agreed that Specsavers is a great place to work.
“This achievement is a testament to the culture our people have created, and one we are proud to support,” said Specsavers Clinical Director, Dr Ben Ashby.
The survey results highlighted that our optometrists feel trusted and supported, with clinical autonomy and opportunities for wellbeing and professional growth
“Our optometrists and team members bring passion, insights, and ideas every day, helping shape how we serve our patients and communities while creating workplaces where they are proud to work.
“As New Zealand’s largest provider of eyecare services, our optometrists provide eye tests, including OCT [optical coherence tomography] scans on every patient at no cost, for more than half a million people across the nation each year.
“The survey results highlighted that our optometrists feel trusted and supported, with clinical autonomy and opportunities for wellbeing and professional growth. It’s particularly encouraging to see that more than 88% of optometrists say they are proud about sharing where they work with others,” he said.
In the survey, 90% of optometrists said management trusts them to do a good job without close oversight while 91% positively rated the training and development opportunities available to them.
Specsavers Managing Director, Paul Bott, described the survey result as a “fantastic achievement” but said “what matters most is creating an environment where our teams feel supported, valued and able to do their best work”.