A few things off the top of my head
-Disable all civilians
-There's no need to avoid using commanders and admins. You can imagine them as being "higher function" drones, which are semi-autonomous
-Disable, if it's still there, the promotions based on political reliability. In fact, disable automatic promotions alltogether. Drones should be promoted based on their skill, because in a hive mind surely there's a perfect relationship between "grade" (basically, responsability) and capabilities
- Be sure to play a completely kamikaze society, with total disregard for possible casualties
Results are the only things that matter.
-It would be nice to disable "wealth", since it would make sense for a hive mind. Since you cannot do that, be sure to colonize every planet that's feasible, even if not immediately useful. The hive must grow....