Since the global pandemic (COVID-19), there has been increased demand for employee performance to be considered alongside work-life balance (WLB), raising questions about how human resource management (HRM) practices can drive quality work-life balance for enhanced employee performance. This study investigated the HRM practices used for work-life balance and their effect on employee performance in a selected Nigerian banking and financial services organisation. The study followed a quantitative research approach using a survey method, collecting primary data from a sample of 375 respondents selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques, of whom 309 returned valid responses. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire capturing the study variables, and the analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (regression analysis). The results demonstrated that quality work-life balance has a significant positive effect on employee performance through the appropriate execution of HRM practices, explaining 52.0 percent of the variance in employee performance (R2 = .520, F = 82.333, p < .001). Career management and development was identified as the most influential HRM practice in driving quality work-life balance (β = 0.556), followed by training and development (β = 0.268), performance appraisal (β = 0.229), and rewards and recognition (β = 0.212). The study concluded that a healthy work-life balance, supported by effective HRM practices, is essential for improving employee performance in the selected Nigerian banking and financial services organisation, and recommended that organisational policies prioritising employee well-being and career development be treated as strategic tools for attaining desired employee performance.
Keywords: Banking; Employee Performance; HRM; Organisational Behaviour; Work-Life Balance