Researchers encounter numerous problems when studying small and medium-sized enterprises’ HR practices. On the one hand, there is no commonly accepted definition of small and medium-sized enterprises; on the other hand, even the category of SMEs shows a very diverse picture. An increasing number of scholars point out that, in addition to enterprise size, the field of industry, the enterprises’ scope of activity, the age of the enterprise, the owner’s person as well as other characteristic features all influence the operation of SMEs and – within it – SMEs’ practices of human resource use and management. With a view to the SME sector, the literature review offered in the scope of this study provides a summary of the specificities of family-owned SME’s HRM practices. The literature review provided herein is organised around four themes: recruitment and selection; training and development; performance assessment and incentives; and organisational culture.