Join us March 25 for “What Do Workers Want?” — a thought-provoking keynote by Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor chief economist and a 2026 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow.

Zhao’s public talk supports the work of the 2026 Kenan Institute Grand Challenge on Renegotiating Work: Balancing Workplace Demands in Uncertain Times and is part of the Dean’s Speaker Series, hosted by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise in partnership with UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. The Dean’s Speaker Series is made possible through the generous support of the Archie K. Davis Endowment.

When & Where: 12:30 to 1:30 PM, Bell Hall – Maynard Event Forum, with lunch provided at 12 PM.
Complimentary admission. Registration required.

Over the past six years, workers have faced dramatic swings — from the pandemic and the “great resignation” to today’s sluggish job market. Now, with artificial intelligence disruption, rising layoffs and return-to-office mandates adding new pressure, uncertainty remains high and employer–employee relationships continue to shift. Zhao will draw on Glassdoor’s unique employee sentiment and workplace review data to examine how workers are feeling, what they’re prioritizing, which workplace changes are here to stay and which are most likely to fade fast.

Daniel Zhao is Chief Economist at Glassdoor, the worldwide leader on career insights about jobs and companies. Daniel leads the Economic Research team, conducting research using Glassdoor’s unique data on a range of topics in labor market trends and employer-employee relations. Daniel’s work covers drivers of employee engagement and sentiment and has produced new data products like the Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index. Daniel’s research has also touched on other topics like pay transparency, employee retention, layoffs and leadership communication styles. 

His work has been cited in publications like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, the Harvard Business Review and more. His team’s work can be found on the Glassdoor Economic Research blog.

Prior to joining the Glassdoor Economic Research team in 2018, he worked as a data scientist, analyzing big data for marketplaces like Glassdoor and Wayfair.





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