Pros
The company is in an upward swing, recently merging with other Sony-owned distributors. The film sector is rapidly gaining traction in the industry, and the music sector spans internationally. There is a strong company culture strengthened by happy hours and regular in-office live performances from artists. Even though The Orchard has “gone corporate” with the acquisition by Sony, and the culture is weaker than it was in the past, it is still a fun place to be every day. Nice people, large office, lots of snacks and fruit. Most senior management are great, if you get the opportunity to interact with them. The end of year holiday party is a lot of fun, and usually people from the international offices are flown in for a week of meetings (though this may be changing, which would be a shame).
Cons
Salaries are not competitive. At all. You’ll make more money as an entry-level employee working elsewhere in Sony. Lower-level employees are viewed and treated as dispensable, and these positions have high turnover. Certain departments are run like assembly lines and are bogged down by needlessly bureaucratic management that kills productivity and morale. Some managers can be catty and cliquey, and happy hours are often presented as the only ways to “fit in.” Your enjoyment of The Orchard will be entirely dependent on your department. For example, the Tech team is pampered, while coordinators in client services and YouTube are paid scraps and have little influence. Upward mobility is rare. End of year reviews are pointless and opaque, and you won’t get more than an inflation adjustment (~3%) added to your salary unless you get promoted. The Sony acquisition and mergers did little to raise salaries, and transparency with this (2016-2017) was nonexistent.