The paper presents an analysis of the effect of the heat transfer process in metals on the parameters of thermal stresses under pulsed laser action. The dynamic problem of thermoelasticity is considered as a two-stage process. The first stage is determined by the time of action of the radiation pulse. The second stage is caused by the dynamics of the heat transfer process after the end of the laser pulse. For showing the continuity of thermoelastic and thermoelectric processes, the analysis of the electronic mechanism for the propagation of heat in metals and the results of experimental studies of these processes are presented. The results of the experiments demonstrate the high sensitivity of the parameters of thermoelastic and thermoelectric pulses to the microstructure of metals.