As a business owner, you are in a position to affect change in your local economy, particularly its unemployment rate. By recruiting new employees, you're not just reinvigorating your company with new blood, but also improving the economic state of your neighborhood by helping generate an income source for families and individuals. But how does one go about hiring new people? Here's four ways to choose people who can help you as much as you can help them.

Get the Job Posting Right

An unclear job post can attract the wrong candidates. Keep the content simple and straightforward by listing down the job responsibilities that the new recruit will handle and the skills and experience that candidates are expected to have. The right job posting should also convey what the company stands for including what goals it wants to achieve and the causes it supports.

Come Up With a Good Recruitment Strategy

Once you've identified the job description and the ideal candidate, set up a recruitment strategy meeting with existing employees who will be involved in the hiring process, such as the hiring manager. During this sit-down, plan out the details of your recruiting strategy, such as channels to post your job requirements, who will be interviewing candidates, and the timeline for the recruiting process.

Give Them a Reason to Stay

High employee turnover is bad for business and signals a dying company from an investor's or customer's standpoint. Pay better hourly wage or salary than your competitors. If you can't match their rates, you can do something else for your employees, such as improve the office setup so that they have a place to relax, such as a game room. Talk to employment attorneys to understand the legal standards set forth by state and federal agencies to protect both employer and employee and use it as a guideline to structuring your business.

Vet Candidates Through Background Checks and References

Conducting a thorough background check and calling references provided by candidates is a simple but powerful way to thin out the herd early. Focus on candidates that actually have the credentials and skill set that fit your business' needs and culture. Some companies ask for references but never do verify if they are real people. This might lead to hiring the wrong employee for the wrong reasons.

While it's a prudent goal to help with the unemployment problem, make sure you protect your business first by keeping out the unqualified people and only hiring the competent professionals to help grow your business.