[evm9]

I've seen some people here insist that they want their work station and/or laptop ready to go. If I were in the position of hiring an engineer, and made a hire, I would ask said engineer what they would prefer. Having everything setup or letting them unbox and setup, or maybe a combination of both.

Other things not specific to work environment should be ready to go. Their e-mail account, phone (if applicable), or any other virtual or physical materials used on a frequent basis.

As others have suggested, prefer something like a 75/25 social/engineering split for the first day. Introduction to team members and others, company processes, goals, HR stuff, go to lunch, etc.