Teal Partners is one of the first companies in Flanders to receive a Doing Good Works certification. The certification examines how an organisation works: how colleagues collaborate, how decisions are made, and how company values come to life in practice. For founder Jelle Huygen, the label was not an endpoint, but a reason to take a closer look at Teal Partners’ own culture. “The assessment gave us a valuable mirror.”
An online survey asked Teal Partners colleagues for their views on topics such as culture and communication. Jelle Huygen: “It was very useful to pause and reflect on how we work, and how that is experienced by everyone. Especially because we are growing quickly: over the past few months, another ten colleagues have joined us.”
The survey brought interesting insights and concrete areas for improvement to the surface. Jelle: “The analysis confirmed a number of strengths: our technical expertise, our commitment, our craftsmanship and our pride in quality. I am very pleased that those qualities came through so clearly, and that everyone understands they are at the heart of who we are.”
Thanks to its focus on quality, its self-managing culture and a well-considered salary policy, Teal Partners attracts top talent in software development. “Our people are professionals who enjoy the kind of complex projects we work on, and the way we approach them: in teams, at the office in Antwerp. But our strength is also our Achilles’ heel. Because intrinsically motivated people sometimes tend to push themselves too far.”
The assessment gave us a valuable mirror.
That is something Teal Partners wants to remain very alert to. “Our people are our most important asset,” Jelle emphasises. “Take projects such as Flex Income Plan or the payroll software SD Worx Buddy: we work on them for years. Buddy is now being rolled out across Europe. Our vision is long-term and the bar is high. We need everyone, so we do everything we can to protect our people.”
But Teal Partners does not do this in a classic way. “We are not the kind of company that brings in coaches or organises workshops. We don’t impose anything, but we do want to pay more attention to this in our daily practice. By talking, keeping a close eye on each other, and making even better agreements, with each other and with the client.”
The analysis shows that Teal Partners can still grow further in giving feedback. According to Jelle, this is linked to the company’s self-managing way of working. “Because there are no managers, there is no one directing you. That means colleagues need to give each other feedback, but that is not easy.”
According to Jelle, the risk is that people start working alongside each other rather than together. “That is why, for example, we want a team of five people to work on no more than two features at the same time. That forces you to collaborate more closely and communicate better.”
A lot is already happening in terms of learning and development on the Teal work floor. Colleagues obtain certificates, there are sessions on topics such as security and AI, and during TealFridays team members share their expertise or talk about projects.
Because there are no managers, there is no one directing you. That means colleagues need to give each other feedback, but that is not easy.
Still, opportunities remain, according to Jelle. “Anyone who wants to take a training course is given the space to do so, because continuous learning is essential in our field. That can mean technical training, but just as well training in leadership or communication. But we notice that this possibility is still used relatively little. We want to change that.”
The DGW survey complements the annual evaluation, when the founders sit down with every employee. “Those are intense conversations. We don’t just give our opinion; we also listen carefully so we can make use of collective ideas. But not everyone always dares to speak out very directly. The certification surveys our people in a different way. That is why it is a valuable addition.”
Our strength is also our Achilles’ heel. Because intrinsically motivated people sometimes tend to push themselves too far.
For Jelle, what makes this different from other HR audits is that it did not feel like a box-ticking or profiling exercise. “I never had the feeling that we had to give socially desirable answers in order to obtain the certificate. Our philosophy overlaps with that of Doing Good Works, and the audit was also carried out in a way that fits very well with our philosophy. The results offer us a valuable mirror.”
Doing Good Works is a network organisation founded by Nick Van Langendonck, an expert in People & Culture. The network brings together 50 companies and helped 1,789 professionals with values-driven entrepreneurship in 2025. With its certificate, Doing Good Works aims to recognise companies that are committed to values-driven entrepreneurship. The audit helps companies map their strengths and opportunities. Printing company Daddy Kate from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw was also awarded a certificate.
