Original Article ISSN (Online): 2350-0530 ISSN (Print): 2394-3629 International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH February 2024 12(2), 77–92 How to cite this article (APA): Galadanchi, H. A., and Saulawa, A. A. (2024). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Human Resource Management Strategies on Employee Contentment in Nigeria's Service Sector (Banking Industry). International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH, 12(2), 77–92. doi: 10.29121/granthaalayah.v12.i2.2024.5519 77 EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON EMPLOYEE CONTENTMENT IN NIGERIA'S SERVICE SECTOR (BANKING INDUSTRY) Hamza Aliyu Galadanchi 1 , Asiya Abdul Saulawa 1 1 Business Administration, and Economics Department, College of Social and Management Sciences, Al-Qalam University Katsina, Nigeria ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) practices on employee contentment in the service sectors, focusing particularly on the Nigerian banking industry. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 540 individuals working in service sectors, with a specific emphasis on the banking sector in Nigeria. Of these, 406 responses were collected. Statistical analyses including regression analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and one-way ANOVA were employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings revealed that overall, HRM practices, including HR planning, staffing, training & development, and performance appraisal, demonstrated high levels of effectiveness. However, the efficacy of remuneration was deemed to be moderate. Employee contentment levels were found to be moderate as well. Importantly, a strong positive correlation was observed between the effectiveness of HRM practices and employee contentment. The report suggests that banks should enhance their financial compensation policies to improve employee morale and contentment. Additionally, it recommends conducting comparative studies between commercial banks and Islamic banks to gain further insights. Received 20 January 2024 Accepted 22 February 2024 Published 05 March 2024 Corresponding Author Hamza Aliyu Galadanchi, hamzaagaladanchi@auk.edu.ng DOI 10.29121/granthaalayah.v12.i2.2024 .5519 Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. With the license CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author. Keywords: Human Resource Management, HRM Practices, Employee Contentment, Service Industries 1. INTRODUCTION Due to extensive economic liberalization, Nigeria's service sectors play a pivotal role in transitioning to a free-market economy, making them fundamental to the country's economic framework Okafor et al. (2022). The service industry, particularly banking, offers significant growth and diversification prospects, accounting for 44.6% of market capitalization and 50.75% of GDP in 2010 Fatogun