SUMMARY
The banking industry in Kenya is operating in an environment that is becoming increasingly complex due to increased competition, rapid technological changes, globalisation and growth of alternative banking institutions. In order for the banks to achieve success and to satisfy their customer needs, they must attract and retain a satisfied workforce as a source of competitive advantage. The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education, tenure and bank sector) and job characteristics (namely; job autonomy, job variety, role stress, co-worker and supervisory support) on job satisfaction among employees in commercial banks in Nakuru Town in Kenya. The sample of the study consisted of 126 employees drawn from a population of 180 employees from three (3) locally owned banks and five (5) foreign-owned banks. Questionnaires were used to collect data which were analysed using inferential statistics which included Independent Samples T-Test, One Way Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA), Pearsons Correlation and Multiple Regression analysis. The results showed that (a) demographic characteristics partially influenced job characteristics and job satisfaction; (b) Job autonomy, job variety, co-worker and supervisory support had significant, positive effects on job satisfaction; (c) Role stress did not have a significant effect on job satisfaction. The study recommends that bank managers adopt various managerial interventions in order to create a pleasant and supportive work environment in which job satisfaction will thrive.